North Macedonia - Normandy partnership: for open-minded youth workers

Our main objective was to enable trainees to gain international mobility experience during their training period. The aim was to share this experience and inspire others in their professional circ...

Our main objective was to enable trainees to gain international mobility experience during their training period. The aim was to share this experience and inspire others in their professional circle. The underlying objective was also to promote greater recognition of youth work. More broadly, at the level of the Musique Expérience association, the idea was to open up to the world, particularly when welcoming partners. For the SEGA coalition, there was a strong desire to develop and deepen the training of youth workers. For the MPTLL, already convinced of the importance of international mobility, the desire was to convey this dynamic to local partners.

A total of 12 activities were implemented. Among the most notable were two study visits, one to North Macedonia for professionals from Normandy and one to Normandy for professionals from Macedonia. The idea was to learn about each country's youth policies in order to better understand the next steps in the project. Two activities, one in Macedonia and one in Normandy, were devoted to designing and testing training content for trainees, professionals, and employers. Finally, French trainee facilitators spent a week combining job shadowing and study visits in North Macedonia. Similarly, six Macedonian youth workers had the same experience in Normandy. Numerous project dissemination activities were carried out throughout the project.

Concretely, thanks to this project, the teams of the various partner organizations have a better understanding of the countries' youth policies, which allows them to question and enrich their daily work. Training content has been created and tested for some. On the French side, content related to preparing trainees for their mobility departure has been developed. An awareness module on international mobility has also been developed for professionals and employers. In Normandy, this project has made the effects of international cooperation concrete and strengthened the position and role of two organizations as resources for others. This project has significantly increased the demand from other training organizations to the MPTLL. On the Macedonian side, to complement existing youth worker training, specialized modules in sports, culture, and organizational management have been created, thus responding to a need for professional development and recognition. Finally, groups of trainees or young youth workers have had their first experience of international mobility in a professional setting.