INNOVATION IN EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT THROUGH CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

Innovations in youth work

In the field of youth work and non-formal education, innovation is key. Young people are looking for projects that give them the opportunity to get out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves. The Young Men’s Leadership Project (YMLP) and Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) in Macedonia are youth development programs that focus on youth development through experiential learning, facilitated workshops and outdoor team-building challenges: GLOW and YMLP provide concurrent and complementary program for our campers in a number of ways.. First through guided workshops, delivered by local and international volunteers on core curriculum topics – ecology, personal development, leadership, civic responsibility and youth employment. Lessons are held each day, building on previous days’ lessons, and providing campers with the broad knowledge and skills to continue exploring new concepts on their own.

Second, team-building and self-reflection content is delivered through community-based challenges and outdoor engagement. Teams are mentored by experienced and trained staff who facilitate group challenges—physical and self-reflective—allowing campers to practice leadership, teamwork, communication and awareness. Campers work in teams with their mentor throughout the week and outside of class to develop interpersonal skills. Finally, multiple special events are provided throughout the week that act as capstone projects and cultural exchanges. For example, field days and elective courses allow campers the opportunity to experience the traditions of a typical American summer camp, while special events such as a camp-wide service project, project design simulation, and the new Youth Job Fair allow for campers to practice the skills developed during the week on their core curriculum.

The business sector is a valuable resource

All these different aspects of programming are provided thanks to two different sets of contributors.

Socially responsible individuals work as volunteer staff, both American Peace Corps volunteers and Macedonian domestic volunteers, who contribute their time and experience in creating content for GLOW and YMLP camps and clubs. The effect of volunteers is enhanced by the contributions of corporate sponsors – socially responsible companies – who contribute resources, both financial and in kind, enabling the program to be organized.

But why not engage sponsors multilaterally? YMCA Bitola sees corporate sponsors as more than just socially responsible entities that contribute to the financing of our program – they are also experts in their field who can provide valuable resources. Corporate partners are ideally placed with unique perspectives and expertise to advise YMCA users on what employability in Macedonia means and looks like. The goal is to activate those perspectives from the corporate partners in order for the youth to benefit, and on the other hand, to provide an opportunity for the partners to contribute more than just funds to the development of the youth. YMCA Bitola worked to revive this year’s core curriculum by providing an employment and work track for the first time. Throughout the camp, two dedicated youth employment facilitators guide campers through exploring professional communication, career planning, CV/résumé writing, as well as using volunteering, internships and other extracurricular opportunities as a pathway to employment. A keystone of the employability pathway is the Youth Employment Fair, where corporate partners are invited to join in and provide their expert perspectives to young people. This is an invaluable opportunity for partners to connect with young people and directly provide influence and insight into the corporate landscape of Macedonia.

Youth employment fair for increased opportunities

In its inaugural year, the Youth Job Fair includes three concurrent programs: career tables, short presentations and resume reviews. Campers rotate between talking with representatives at career desks one-on-one, receiving resume feedback from camp staff and attending presentations from both camp staff and community partners, learning about specific companies, industries and skills.

The aim of the Fair is to present a wide range of information and for young people to leave the camp with new inspiration and insight that they can take with them.

Campers are prepared and encouraged to circulate among the tables and ask questions about the company and industry-specific careers and benefit from having such valuable resources on site. The opportunity to speak with an influential decision-maker in some of Macedonia’s most prosperous industries is an experience that GLOW and YMLP campers took full advantage of. The participation of the Youth Employment Fair exceeded all estimates.

During the planning process, expectations that anyone would want to travel to a remote camp in Krushevo for a two-hour event were very low – but the turnout was surprising. Five of seven high-level sponsors from the private sector participated in the Fairs sharing their mission, youth employment vision and expertise with the campers. Many of our partners have arrived with teams of senior management and executives – all ready to use their time to talk to our young people.

Veneta Ristovska, representing our silver sponsor Sasa Mine and also a former GIOW Camper in 2012, spoke about her experience at camp and how young people can use the camp experience as a stepping stone to a successful career. It was especially special for the campers to be able to see concretely how to take ownership of the things they learned in the GLOW and YMLP programs and transform them into meaningful actions outside of camp. Veneta’s insight was complimented by Nick Shirley of Central Asia Metals (owners of the Sasa mine) who spoke of the potential of Macedonian business on an international level. For the third year in a row, Gold-level sponsor Okta was represented at both camps by CEO Loan Gerulanos, speaking about how campers as future members of the workforce can stand out to employers, pursue a career path that balances their personal strengths with the realities of the job market and why it’s important in life to fail, but never fail twice. George Topsis, Chief Commercial Officer at Okta spoke to the campers about pursuing career goals through the lens of philosophy. It was clear that both topics were highly valued and inspiring to the campers based on the questions, comments and engagement from the campers. GLOW and YMLP Youth Employability Curriculum and Employability Fair will continue to be organized. Ultimately, the success of these events is due to the drive and ambition of the campers and the willingness of corporate sponsors to nurture those traits. YMCA Bitola will continue to work with the next generations of young campers, educating young people about leadership, empowerment and employability.