Video recap of our project
CAREER KICKSTARTER
Young people all around Europe are facing the challenge of the transition from education to employment. This is correlated by statistical facts that confirm that 8.7 million young people aged 15-29 are unemployed and 13.7 million are not in employment, education or training. A potential answer to this problem represents the youth work that can positively shape the integration of young people in the labour market by the contribution in the communities of youth workers who can facilitate an active participation of youths and empower them to achieve their full potential.
Our Goal
The goal of the project was to develop knowledge, abilities and attitudes of youth workers from 8 non-profit organizations from CZ, RO, FR, HU, MK, LT, PL, SK on non-formal methods to empower young people to increase their employability.
The Story
This story was written by one of the participants.
On the 13th of March 2018, I have received a very special email, something I was not really expecting but which filled me with great excitement. Few weeks ago, I applied for multiple training courses under a program named Erasmus+ and one organization decided that I was suitable enough for one of their project. As a youth worker looking to acquire competences to help my local community to fight unemployment, my profile had attracted the attention of my fellows and so I was invited to join an 8 days training named Career Kickstarter.
The village of Velke Pavlovice was waiting for me as I was taking a multiple connection train from Prague. Arrived in the small vineyard town, I was surprised by the modernity of the project location. Described as a Renaissance fortress, I was expecting an old building with a cracking wood floor, but actually everything had been renovated very recently. As our collective adventure was slowly starting and other participants were joining one group at a time, I had a very strong feeling that this experience would change my perception of things forever.
After 8 fantastic days and nights, I’m fully persuaded that my stay in Czech Republic has benefited my individual perspectives. I have learnt much more than skills and knowledge through the different workshops, simulations, presentations and study visit. My social abilities have grown up beyond imagination, through intensive interactions with the others, I find it more pleasant to speak in public, exchange and expose my opinions. I feel more serene and confident as a team worker and this experience has taken me away of the comfort zone that I was living in for so long.
We learned the different youth employment situations in all of the participating countries and problems related to them, learned how to evaluate ourselves and out own competences, prepare for the job interview, write a professional CV, find a proper job sphere, operate business, write a business plan, entrepreneurship, improvised and planned public speaking, we even had an European Parliament simulation of getting funds for our business ideas. Not to mentioned learned customs, dances, songs, of other cultures as well as tasted the culture degustating the amazing food brought from all the countries. We even had a chance to visit the beautiful and historically rich city Brno and inhale the local culture there finding out the real situation of the youth employment in the local region.
You must be thrilled to know about my little secret that I was mentioning at the beginning of this article. Let me tell you something, Erasmus+ projects are going to be the best time of your life!
Take action today and join one of our Erasmus+ projects!
Check our future projects section and apply!
Come and grow with us!
