An Employment Promotion Program Will Be Implemented in Collaboration with Tavush Youth Centres
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, Artur Martirosyan, met with a delegation led by Marcella Maxfield, Head of the South Caucasus Region of the international organisation Action Against Hunger. The meeting was also attended by Grigori Hovhannisyan, Head of the Armenian office of Action Against Hunger.
During the meeting, issues related to collaboration in the areas coordinated by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports (MoESCS) were discussed, specifically concerning the operation of state-funded youth centres in Armenia's provinces and new centres to be established.
Marcella Maxfield presented a 10-month pilot program aimed at “supporting the socio-economic inclusion and employment promotion of forcibly displaced citizens from Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as vulnerable groups in the community.” As part of the programme, she expressed readiness to cooperate with the youth centres established through the state budget in the Ijevan and Dilijan communities of Tavush Province.
The programme will be implemented with financial support from the Embassy of the French Republic in Armenia and will also focus on developing the capacities and skills of young people in these communities, enhancing their competitiveness in the labour market, and promoting their socio-economic engagement within the community.
Deputy Minister Artur Martirosyan welcomed the implementation of the programme, emphasising the importance of involving young people from various social groups and developing their skills through the programme.
The Deputy Minister noted that one of the Armenian Government’s targets is to have 25 youth centres in the regions by 2026, which will serve as environments for discovering and developing young people’s potential, organising intellectual leisure activities, promoting active citizenship, and disseminating information.
Grigori Hovhannisyan, Head of the Armenian office of Action Against Hunger, stated that within the framework of the pilot programme aimed at supporting the socio-economic inclusion and employment promotion of forcibly displaced citizens from Nagorno-Karabakh and vulnerable groups in Armenia’s regions, training courses will be conducted using the organisation’s Shuttle methodology, fully localised for the Armenian context.
Marcella Maxfield, Head of the South Caucasus Region of Action Against Hunger, expressed gratitude for the meeting and noted that since 1994, the organisation has implemented various programmes in Armenia in areas such as livelihood support, agriculture, employment, as well as promoting healthy lifestyles and nutrition in educational institutions, and ensuring food safety. She stated that the organisation is ready to collaborate with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports in the development of general education, vocational education, and additional and continuing education. She emphasised that alongside humanitarian aid programmes, the organisation prioritises development programmes and has extensive experience in similar fields in other countries of the EU Eastern Partnership, particularly Georgia and Moldova.
During the meeting, other issues related to bilateral cooperation were also discussed.
Link to the article (originally in Armenian): Տավուշիերիտասարդականկենտրոններիհետհամագործակցությամբկիրականացվիզբաղվածությանխթանմանծրագիր - ՀՀԿԳՄՍՆ
