Moldova and Ukraine: Support for Youth at Risk of Exclusion

In central and southern Moldova, as well as in the western Ukrainian regions of Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk, many young people face significant challenges regarding their professional future. The project supports youth at risk of social exclusion in integrating into the labor market. This includes students in their final school year as well as young people who are neither in education nor employment. Particular focus is placed on young women at risk of poverty, youth with disabilities, and internally displaced persons or refugees from Ukraine.

Direct Support Through Coaching and Counseling

The project aims to support young people at risk of exclusion in their personal and professional development, provide them with guidance, open up new perspectives, and assist them in entering the labor market.

Individual coaching is the heart of the project, offering young people intensive guidance in planning their career paths. They receive support in creating résumés, preparing for job interviews, and making decisions about whether additional education or training might be beneficial for them. Additionally, career orientation workshops are conducted in collaboration with schools.

Building Local Capacities and Structures

The project also offers advanced training workshops targeting job coaches and professionals in public services, including teachers and staff from employment agencies. These training sessions aim to equip participants with the skills to recognize and better address the specific needs of youth at risk of exclusion.

The project aims not only to support individual young people but also to initiate long-term structural changes. Close collaboration with local partner organizations and the development of local resources ensure the project’s impact is sustainable. By combining direct support with systemic approaches, the project makes a significant contribution to poverty reduction in Moldova and western Ukraine.

Through the project supported by the Austrian Ministry of Social Affairs, the following are achieved in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine:

• 450 young people receive individual support from job coaches
• Around 100 career orientation workshops conducted in schools
• 10 job coaches trained
• 100 public sector employees (teachers and employment agency staff) trained