This weekend Regional RAISE Youth Center and Center for Sustainable Community Development/CSCD held a joint event attended by some of the most active participants who have passed through the three cohorts of entrepreneurship training held this year and 2021 under the RAISE Youth project.
During the meeting, part of the business plans of the young people from the last group were also presented. In front of a jury with representatives of CSCD, BFree and Yuya Consult the young people presented their ideas within the time set for the purpose. They then received feedback and recommendations.
Among the ideas for starting their own business were those of opening a pastry shop for boutique cakes; online youth trainings on teenage problems; advertising digital agency; a company offering social services for its employees, such as reducing workplace stress and others.
Participants from all three cohorts reported that the entrepreneurship training they had the opportunity to participate in was useful and inspiring. According to them, it has met them with interesting young people their age and quality mentors. For some of them, it has opened up new horizons for professional development.
The final part was the most exciting, in which the young people received their special certificates for participating in the program. The surprise for everyone at the final was the delicious handmade cake with the #RaiseYouth logo, made by our participant Maria Ikonomova from Blagoevgrad.
The RAISE Youth project, implemented by the Center for Development of Sustainable Communities, covers over 500 young people aged between 18 and 29, living in the municipalities of Pernik, Breznik, Trun, Radomir, Zemen and Kovachevtsi, who are not currently involved. Within its framework, various trainings for career and personal development are passed, and the most active 20 participants will be provided with additional training and mentoring assistance to start their own business.
The RAISE Youth project is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.