European Training Foundation launches #MySkills4You initiative to empower youth in EU neighbourhood

The European Training Foundation (ETF) today launched #MySkills4You, a social media campaign that amplifies the voices of young citizens from the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans, contributing to the conversation during the European Year of Skills. 

Through dynamic videos, the campaign sheds light on the perspectives of young citizens regarding crucial skills development in their countries.

#MySkills4You seeks to answer fundamental questions:

• What do young people think are the most important skills?
• What are their countries doing to support skills development?

Through the campaign, the ETF engaged with individuals aged 16 to 28 to understand their perceptions of what countries are doing to support their skills development. The initiative is organised in collaboration with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) and extends its reach through networks of Young European Ambassadors and EU Jeel Connectors from EU Neighbours South, East, and Western Balkans.

Running until April 2024, the campaign encompasses a diverse array of skills and talents, each contributing to the broader narrative of skill development in their respective regions. Contributors from the Eastern Partnership region include Nataliia Balitska in Ukraine, a proponent of self-improvement and proactivity, Moldova’s Daniela Plămădeală and Valeria Cabac, advocating for a holistic approach in data science, Armenia’s Sophie Abrahamyan and Azerbaijan’s Nargiz Aliyeva who focus respectively on balanced public speaking and STEM advocacy, while in Georgia, Mariam Ketsbaia underscores the vital importance of communication and teamwork skills. 

The European Year of Skills aims to address skills gaps in the European Union and boost the EU skills strategy, focusing on digital and green technology skills. It supports skills-related activities and events across Europe, promoting investment in training, ensuring skills match the needs of employers, and attracting people from outside the EU with the required skills.

The European Training Foundation (ETF) is the European Union agency that supports neighbouring countries in reforming their education, training, and labour market systems. 

Find out more

Press release

#MySkills4You campaign

MySkills4You – Video playlist