AGBU-UN Raises Awareness & Funds for Youth Career Trail Program

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, July 31, 2008

AGBU-UN Group Raises Awareness & Funds for Youth Career Trail Program
in Armenia

Working in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP), The AGBU-United Nations Special Interest Group hosted its
first benefit reception on July 24, 2008 at the UN headquarters in New
York. The reception raised funds for the UNDP Youth Career Trail
Project, which seeks to mitigate youth unemployment in Armenia by
partnering recent college graduates with leading host organizations
through a six-month paid internship program. More than one hundred
guests, including AGBU and UN dignitaries, attended the reception.

The benefit reception included remarks by His Excellency Armen
Martirosyan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent
Representative of Armenia to the United Nations, Arda Haratunian,
Member of AGBU Central Board of Directors, and Consuelo Vidal, UNDP
Resident Representative to Armenia, as well as a video presentation
featuring interviews with recent Youth Career Trail project
interns. Hors d’oeuvres and live jazz music also accompanied the
evening.

Although uninterrupted economic growth has been documented in Armenia
since 1994, economic recovery has not resulted in a real expansion for
employment so unemployment is one of Armenia’s key social and economic
problems. Young people are especially affected by this trend, with
youth unemployment in Armenia reaching a critical level of almost 50%.

Within the framework of the UN Global Compact initiative, the Youth
Career Trail Project is a joint effort between UNDP, the private
sector, and non-governmental organizations, such as AGBU, to alleviate
youth unemployment rates in Armenia. Easing the transition from
college to the workforce, participants in Yerevan and the outer
regions earn valuable on-the-job experience relevant to their
education.

Participants in the Youth Career Trail Project also refine necessary
career skills through the program’s capacity-building seminars. In
addition to partaking in a six-month paid internship, participants
attend seminars which offer help in presentation skills and
interviewing, as well as guidance in writing an effective résumé. Host
companies are encouraged to hire successful candidates upon completion
of the internship period, and over 50% of the first Youth Career Trail
class has found long-term employment.

The AGBU-UN Special Interest Group is proud to help sponsor the third
class of interns. Kim Yacoubian, AGBU’s Main Representative to the UN,
stated, "After nearly a year, our work has culminated in this evening,
the first of many initiatives to come, bringing us together to support
the next group of interns this coming August." AGBU-UN SIG’s benefit
reception raised $6,000, which will cover the internship stipends of
ten upcoming Youth Career Trail Project participants.

To make a donation or for general inquiries, please visit

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City with
an annual budget of $34 million, AGBU preserves and promotes the
Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and
humanitarian programs, annually serving some 400,000 Armenians on six
continents.

www.agbu.org
www.agbu.org/un.
www.agbu.org