A business development grant is available at the new youth center in Almaty
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter – MLSPP) together with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) opened a project office “Samgau UpShift” for youth in Almaty.
It was created so that young people from socially vulnerable groups could learn the basics of business, social entrepreneurship, time management, critical, creative and creative thinking, communication and leadership skills, and teamwork free of charge. To participate in the project, you need to fill out an online application at jashome.org. In addition, children can, on a competitive basis, apply for a grant to implement their business idea, accompanied by a mentor. “The opening of the Samgau UpShift project office is an important event, since this institution is a stage of inclusion that gives young people the opportunity to fully adapt in society, which is necessary to strengthen future opportunities and further successful socialization,” said the Vice Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population RK of the Republic of Kazakhstan Erlan Aukenov. In turn, the Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Kazakhstan Veronika Vashchenko expressed hope that the skills acquired in the project office will contribute to increasing the competitiveness of Kazakhstani youth. “Globalization and technological progress are constantly increasing demands on the labor market, which are difficult to meet if, due to age, there is no work experience yet. Therefore, the development of entrepreneurial skills, teamwork and cooperation is extremely important for Kazakhstani youth in order to increase their competitiveness, ”she said. In addition to representatives of the ministry and the fund, the ceremony was attended by the guys who will be trained in the project office. They shared their ideas with the guests. It should be noted that the Samgau UpShift project was previously implemented only online. So, during the quarantine, more than 1,000 young people took part in the training, with whom trainers from among the certified mentors on the methodology of non-formal education took part. More than 30 seminars on life skills training were held, 2 online bootcamps. 9 teams have already received mini-grants and are implementing their business ideas. Also, 11 schools and 6 youth resource centers from various regions of Kazakhstan are participating in the project. Let us remind you that Samgau UpShift is a program of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and MLSPP for young people, in which special attention is paid to the most vulnerable groups (young people with HIV and other chronic diseases, with disabilities, left without parental care). Using the UPSHIFT methodology, the flagship initiative of the UNICEF Innovation Laboratory, the program combines best practices in youth development, social innovation and entrepreneurship.