From stuck to rising
How the Youth Guarantee turned one young man's dreams into reality.
Imagine feeling as if your life is on hold, with no real plans, no exciting opportunities, and little hope that tomorrow will bring something brighter. That is the harsh reality for many young people who are neither in school, work, nor training.
Often labeled “NEET” (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), they are not just statistics; they are real young people with their own challenges, doubts, and dreams, waiting to be discovered.
Thanks to the generous support from EU4Youth, the Youth Guarantee programme, stories of hope are unfolding every day. One example is Redon, an 18-year-old whose journey shows how transformative your support can be.
YWCA, UNICEF’s implementing partner, first connected with Redon while he was in residential care. He had dropped out of high school, was not enrolled in any job training, and had no clear job prospects. His future felt like a foggy path, caught between his big dreams and what seemed possible.
At first glance, Redon seemed like a quiet guy, reserved and thoughtful in his words. He did not say much, but you could feel the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him. “I didn’t really know what was next,” he later shared. “Everything just felt… stuck.”
But beneath that quiet look, Redon had a motive: a genuine drive to build a better life for himself.
We hear it too often: young people who fall through the cracks are dismissed as lazy or lacking drive. But that is far from the truth. Often, they have dreams as bold as anyone’s, yet they lack a helping hand, the right advice, or the resources to make those dreams come true. That is exactly where Redon found himself.
This is where the Youth Guarantee kicks in. Through outreach, the program actively seeks out young people like Redon who are inactive or at risk. YWCA partners with local groups, including youth ambassadors, to connect with people in hidden or disadvantaged communities daily. By tapping into data from schools, social services, and unemployment records, the team identifies potential NEETs early. That is how local partners found Redon.
During these outreach efforts, they connected him with structured counseling and career guidance and crafted a personalized plan. As they chatted and searched into what truly excited him, one passion stood out: cooking. “I’ve always loved being in the kitchen,” Redon said with a smile.
“It’s the one thing that makes me excited about the future. I want to become a chef.”
For Redon, the kitchen meant more than a job. It was his ticket to a real career, a steady income, and a sense of who he could become. “I want to create something good with my life,” he added.
The YWCA staff stepped in to discuss options for enrolling him in a professional cooking course. They contacted the Vocational Training Office in Shkodra to identify a course that aligned with his goals.
On registration day, Redon was excited. “I couldn’t believe it was really happening,” he said. “It felt like the door I had been waiting for finally opened.”
Just two weeks in, Redon was a new person. He showed up every day, right on time. He never missed a lesson, and he had a hunger to learn. He learned new skills, not only hands-on cooking techniques but also the ins and outs of the chef world. Bit by bit, his self-confidence grew.
He shifted from a young person staring into a foggy future to a young man with clear, achievable goals.
“I used to feel invisible,” he reflected. “Now I wake up knowing I’m learning something that matters. I’m becoming someone.”
Today, Redon is a young man building a career, strengthening his skills, and seeing a secure, stable future. “This is just the start,” he said. “But for the first time, I believe I can make it.”
#EU4Youth is funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Albania and UNICEF Albania, in collaboration with the National Employment and Skills Agency and the National Youth Agency, under the coordination of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation.
