The "Young Worker" programme was launched in 2014 with the support of UNDP Ukraine and in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sport of Ukraine and the State Institute for Family and Youth Policy. The programme allows to improve the professional background of representatives of civil servants and civil society organizations work with young people aimed at increasing the number of young people who participate in shaping youth policy and in enhancing cooperation between government and CSOs on youth issues.

 

In the past, the Youth Workers programme of non-formal education, initiated by UNDP and taken on board by the Ministry of Youth and Sports as a national programme, has trained 240 certified youth workers across the country (55% civic servants, 45% civil society representatives). These youth workers were trained on youth policy and working with youth, basic project management, and tools for cooperation between governmental agencies and NGOs. They have engaged more then 50 000 young people into meaningful non-formal education activities across the country.

 

During the meeting, practicioners assessed the results of 2016 program, and discussed new prospects and plans for development of the program in 2017.

 

The meeting was attended by 40 participants from all regions of Ukraine, and among them there were trainers, representatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, subnational state administrations, youth centers, civil society and international partners.

 

During the meeting, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Oleksandr Yarema said that the Youth Worker programme is a priority area of work for the Ministry and an important tool for working with young people, because it aims at increasing youth engagement in the development of youth policy and stimulates young people for the practical use of acquired knowledge and skills. The Deputy Minister thanked the partners of the program "Young Worker", UNICEF and UNDP, for their help and willingness to support the program in 2017.

 

In its next phase of the civil society project, UNDP jointly with the Ministry plans to enrich the programme with the training modules on civic engagement to cover the major gaps in civic knowledge and behaviours based on the results of the civic literacy study 2016. These training modules could be devoted to such topics such as democratization, effective governance, human rights, work with vulnerable youth, people with disabilities, and others. Young people will be able to learn from youth workers about the possibilities of their engagement in life of the local communities in the form of non-formal education activities and events.

 

Thus, Olena Ursu, DHRP Project Coordinator, joined the event to talk to the youth workers about the importance of civil society in Ukraine, and reiterated the readiness to further support the programme in order to support young people and build effective citizenry in the country.

 

Results of the program in 2016 and plans for 2017 can be found here, and opportunities for participation in the training sessions can be checked on the "Young Worker" portal or on its Facebook page.

 

Source: http://dsmsu.gov.ua/index/en/material/28709