A study visit is one of the opportunities given by the EU Erasmus+ program of the European Commission. It is a type of short-term activity to travel to other countries and engage in knowledge, sharing, and learning with and from several institutions and organizations. The purpose of study visits is to promote professional development, intercultural understanding, and networking among individuals engaged in youth work from different countries and sectors.
This study visit in Armenia was a part of the project ‘Discover the Caucasus – 10 Years After’, a series of 3 study visits exploring the youth sector in 3 countries from the region: Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbejdzan.
During the very informative visit to several cities, towns, and rural areas, we were able to learn about some of the challenges faced by young people in Armenia, a country with a youth unemployment rate of around 35%, and limited access to education and training opportunities, compared to, for example, Spain or Poland. Although youth need help to access the labor market, there has been an increase in the participation of young people in projects and volunteer activities, particularly among women, who are more interested in collaborating with the non-governmental sector than men.
Armenian non-governmental entities play an important role in defending the rights and interests of young people and in promoting them as active agents of society, participating in decision-making processes.
Armenian youth face various challenges, but there is positive progress in the youth sector, which still requires continued efforts by the government and civil society to create more opportunities to empower youth.
During the activity, we visited various non-governmental youth organizations and social enterprises, universities, and colleges.
You can learn more about the goals and the opportunities that the organizations we visited are providing to youth in Armenia on their respective websites and social media:
- Youth Cooperation Center of Dilijan / https://yccd.am/news/
- Dilijan Community Center (DCC) / https://dcc.am/
- United World Colleges Dilijan international school / https://www.uwcdilijan.org/
- Youth Initiative Centre(YIC) NGO / https://yic.am/
- Gyumri Youth House (Open Youth Centre) / https://yic.am/youth-house/
- Gyumri Youth Palace (Public Organization) / https://www.facebook.com/YPCNCO
- Aregak Bakery & Cafe / https://aregakbakeryandcafe.weebly.com
- NGO Center / https://ngoc.am/
- Spitak Youth House / https://yic.am/youth-house/syh/
- Armenian Progressive Youth (APY) / https://apy.am/
- Smart Caffe at Brusov State University https://brusov.am/en/page_list/_smart_caffe_entrepreneurship_center_/
- The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports / Youth Department https://escs.am/en
In conclusion, the study visit is an extraordinary opportunity for youth workers to empower knowledge, learn about the situation in other countries, meet new people, and, last but not least, build new friendships and partnerships.
If you are a youth worker, eager to learn, this kind of opportunity is perfect for you!
Marcin
