The Training Course Growing Steps is already finished. The project took place in Convento di Baida, from April 05th to 13th and it is funded by the European Union within the framework of Youth in Action programme, Sub-Action 3.1 – Cooperation with the Neighbouring Countries of the European Union.
Growing Steps, the project named after a pun played on the concepts of growth and development, has gathered 40 youth workers from 17 different countries, who dealt with issues related to rural development as a means to defeat youth unemployment. By applying non-formal learning methods such as group building activities, workshops and role-playing games, participants have acquired and improved their skills and elaborated project ideas concerning rural development. Moreover they have had the opportunity to learn more about the opportunities offered to young people by EU, especially through the new ERASMUS+ programme. Besides they have had time to discuss the significance of active citizenship, so as to create a more tolerant Europe and to bring it closer to people’s needs.
The training course was curated by three trainers with international experiences, who guided and helped participants to obtain, discover and share knowledge, understandings, issues and good practices.
After having identified the problem, youth unemployment in rural areas, trainers have provided participants with information and tools that might be useful to enhance and face in an innovative way rural development related issues, as resources to fight unemployment.
Thanks to this ideal path, participants could test original ideas and work in groups on authentic and concrete solutions, relevant to many Countries. In fact, the training course has involved participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Russian Federation, France, Georgia, Greece, Italia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine who acquired knowledge and skills to work synergistically on projects aimed at easing entrepreneurship and development in rural areas for defeating youth unemployment.
The next steps of the project will consist in:
- Creation of an online Toolbox, for collecting theoretical and practical information exchanged during the TC ;
- Final public online report, for spreading information, ideas and best practices exchanged during the TC, main results achieved and a photo gallery.
The final public report is a useful instrument because it summarizes activities carried out, results achieved and outcomes produced during the Training Course. You can also find several ideas both from trainers and participants and interesting suggestions for future projects in rural development.
For further information please write to francesco.bisulca@cesie.org
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
