15 ambitious young people living on the territory of Southwestern Bulgaria got a chance for development and self-improvement.
After selection by documents and certain criteria, the young people won the opportunity to participate in a specially organized and completely free entrepreneurship training.
The intensive 5-day course was conducted by a team of experts from the Association of Bulgarian Leaders and Entrepreneurs (ABLE).
As part of the training, young people learned the ins and outs of how to turn their ideas into working businesses. They gained new knowledge on how to apply different stages of methodologies and practices, so that they can develop the daily challenges in real potential businesses.
Among the entrepreneurial ideas of the girls and boys were the creation of a sports hall, a dance school, a fast food restaurant, as well as travel agencies and a mobile application. Some of the proposals were also related to services for disadvantaged people, while others focused on environmental protection.
All participants expressed a desire to continue their education in the next module, where they will receive mentoring, and 90% of them already want to develop their own business.
In November, a second group of participants will go through the mentoring training program. The final stage will be marked by the presentation of the finished projects and seeking support for their implementation.
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.