CNVP is the lead partner on Rural youth assisting Macedonia in EU integration, an 18 month EU-funded project that is being implemented in partnership with the Rural Development Networks of Macedonia, Croatia and Serbia. Project implementation started in January 2018.

The specific objectives of the action are to:

1. improve the capacity of rural youth and their CSOs to create and implement public policies through structural dialogue with decision-makers; and
2. strengthen the skills of rural youth, making them more competitive on the labour market.

The project is targeting at least 150 students and 10 rural youth CSOs from rural East and South-East Macedonia. Young people, as well as local and national institutions are benefitting from the action.

During October 2018, five workshops were held in high schools in the cities of Stip, Radovish, Strumica, Berovo and Gevgelija. Beneficiaries included 223 fourth year students and other interested young people. A moderator from the Youth Council of Macedonia covered the following topics during the workshops: social inclusion, youth policies, existing domestic and EU programmes targeted at young people in Macedonia, employment opportunities, and other information related to youth activism.

As part of the training, the young people were invited to send messages to government, the municipality, the school, the parents and other stakeholders suggesting how to improve their general environment and everyday life.

CNVP Macedonia and the local partner organizations helped to organize the series of workshops in cooperation with the schools’ principals and teachers.