Empowering change: youth worker training programme celebrates new graduates

YEREVAN, 28 November, 2025 - The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia welcomed fifty new graduates of the youth worker training programme selected from youth organizations and municipalities from across the country. The goal of the three-stage training programme was to improve the technical and professional qualifications of youth workers, further empowering them to better support adolescents and young people across Armenia at national and community levels.

The certificate ceremony was held by Mr Artur Martirosyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Mrs Silvia Mestroni, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Armenia, and Mr Artur Najaryan, Chairman of the Board of the Gyumri “Youth Initiatives Center” NGO.  The training program was implemented within the framework of EU-Armenia budget support with the objective to increase the competitiveness of education sector in Armenia.

Welcoming the graduates, Deputy Minister Artur Martirosyan emphasized that interest towards youth work and the institution of youth workers has increased significantly in recent years. “If a decade ago the world was still trying to understand what should constitute youth work, nowadays we have a clear-cut picture of what it should entail not only in Armenia but internationally as well. It is gratifying to see how professional education opportunities for youth workers, both within the framework of formal and non-formal education, are expanding year by year. Most importantly, the profession is recognized by law,” noted the Deputy Minister, referring to the law on youth policy, adopted in the beginning of 2025.

According to Artur Martirosyan, the institution of youth workers is one of the key ideas of the new law. “We specifically emphasized that communities, where possible, should have a separate position responsible for youth policy. Our expectation is that within the next five years all communities will have not only one, but several youth workers. This will be beneficial for both young people as well as the state,” he said, noting that youth work is equally valued by community leaders and local government representatives.

“Professionalizing youth work creates a powerful multiplier effect, where trained youth workers can provide enhanced services to adolescents and young people and play a catalytic role in their communities,” said Silvia Mestroni, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Armenia. “UNICEF will continue to work with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and other partners to turn the vision set forth in the new Law on Youth Policy into reality and contribute to safer, more enabling and empowering environments for adolescents and young people.”

Together with UNICEF, Youth Initiative Center has helped shape and refine the training curriculum, ensuring that it reflects the real needs and challenges faced by youth workers in Armenia, integrating critical topics, such as mental health, inclusion, and the “do no harm” approach to working with adolescents and young people. Together with partners, UNICEF is also supporting the development of job descriptions and terms of reference for youth workers, as well as the modalities and operational frameworks for youth centers, safe spaces and community-based platforms.