About The Project
#youthempowermk
The “Youth Empower: Building Skills, Creating Futures” project is a transformative initiative funded by the European Union with a total eligible budget of EUR 287,988.48, of which the EU contributes EUR 259,190.00. The project is led by the Chamber of Craft Skopje, North Macedonia, in partnership with AMPERSAND and ASME, and spans 34 months starting on 1 April 2024.
The project aims to empower young individuals for employment, self-employment, and social entrepreneurship by addressing the gap between education and the labor market. It focuses on equipping youth with practical skills, providing mentorship, and creating opportunities for their active participation in socio-economic development.
Key Objectives
● Empowering Youth
Develop tailored skill sets and provide hands-on training for vocational education students, unemployed youth, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
● Enhancing Collaboration
Establish new models of cooperation between CSOs, VET institutions, and private sector stakeholders.
● Fostering Innovation
Promote youth entrepreneurship and social innovation through pilot programs and initiatives.
● Supporting Sustainability
Drive sustainable socio-economic growth by bridging education and employment gaps.
SO1
To introduce new approaches and cooperation between the public, private and SCO’s sectors in order to support youth in development of skills for employability.
SO2
To enhance the capabilities and expertise of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Vocational Educations and Training (VET) institutions engaged in youth development, equipping them to provide tailored skill sets, including vocational, entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurial skills.
SO3
To bolster the growth of youth entrepreneurship, craftsmanship and social innovation through targeted support mechanisms, thereby promoting sustainable socio-economic progress and strengthening the role of youth in the broader community development efforts.
Core Activities
1. Research and Analysis
Identifying skill discrepancies and aligning them with labor market needs.
2. Capacity Building and Skill Development
Organizing tailored programs, mentorship sessions, and a national skills competition to empower youth.
3. Incubator and Policy Advancement
Establishing a pilot incubator, fostering collaboration through agreements, and developing policy proposals to support youth success in employment and self-employment.
Work Package 1
Preparation and delivery of activities for youth employability and social entrepreneurship.
Work Package 2
Preparation and delivery of activities for strengthened capacities of CSOs working with VET skill development of students.
Work Package 3
Preparation and delivery of activities for conducting National Skill Competition and employability and self-employment prospects of young individuals.
Target Groups
This includes 200 students from various VET (Vocational Education and Training) schools across regions in North Macedonia. The focus is on specific vocational occupations such as hairdressing, beautician services, electrical engineering, mechanical professions, traffic-related roles, chemical technology, business occupations, and special needs education (with up to 20% inclusion).
Additionally, 36 students will participate in national skill competitions, and 400 elementary school students will visit these competitions. The students need skill development and career opportunities. The cation aims to bridge the gap between their education and the job market by providing practical skills, mentorship and visibility.
This group involves 100 unemployed young individuals from a varied social and ethnic backgrounds. These individuals need support to enhance their employability and self-employment prospects.
Minimum five CSOs that focus on engaging and delivering services to students in VET schools. They require capacity building, mentorship, project management expertise and financial support to effectively engage with and support the students in VET schools.
Expected Impact
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Creation of innovative programs tailored to youth needs.
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Strengthened capacities of CSOs and VET institutions to support youth.
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Enhanced cooperation models fostering social and economic progress.
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A pilot incubator to facilitate youth entrepreneurship and employment.
By equipping youth with the skills and opportunities to thrive in the job market, “Youth Empower” contributes to sustainable community development and long-term socio-economic growth in North Macedonia
Partners
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