Unemployment among young people is one of the most complex issues faced by almost all countries in the CIS region. SOS Children’s Villages Austria together with its partners - Aflatoun International, SOS Children’s Villages Armenia, SOS Children’s Villages Belarus, SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine and local partners: BSC in Armenia, Belbiz in Belarus and Alliance for Civil Rights in Ukraine proposed a project that focuses on empowerment and development of the employability and entrepreneurship potential of socially and economically disadvantaged young people, especially young women.
The project contributes to creating better prospects for employment and entrepreneurship among disadvantaged youth and to increasing their active participation in the labour market in Armenia, Belarus and Ukraine.

The objective of the project is to develop the empowerment, employability and entrepreneurship potential of socially and economically disadvantaged young people, especially young women.

Activity 1: Set up an interdisciplinary working group consisting of representatives of participating countries, adapt the ‘Next Economy’ business training programme to the local context and to the specific needs of the project target group, translate the training curriculum and all related materials into 3 languages, carry out a training of trainers for project staff and local partners.
Activity 2: Inform, recruit and select young beneficiaries, conduct their need assessment, provide targeted training for young people in need of essential life, social, employability and digital skills; organise individual and group coaching sessions to develop and validate personal learning objectives; refer young beneficiaries for vocational courses.
Activity 3: In partnership with local businesses organise internships, apprenticeships, job placements and mentoring sessions; offer employment consultancy and consultancy on other state and non-state support programmes for young job-seekers.
Activity 4: Train young people on entrepreneurship.