Cherkasy, June 25 - Local youth for the first time joined the Skills Lab: Your Own Business program. 30 participants aged 16-35 years will work with coaches to implement business plans and start-up businesses in their village or city in just one month. Organizers of the program are CSR Ukraine, CSR Development Center expert organization, United Nations Population Fund with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and Cherkasy Oblast Youth Resource Center.

According to the Cherkasy Oblast Employment Service, in 2018, only 19 people under 35 started their own business. This is three times less than in the previous two years. In January-May 2019, only 6 new businesses were implemented in the region. The purpose of the Skills Lab training program is to provide all the necessary knowledge and skills to increase the number of young entrepreneurs in the Cherkasy region.

Yuliya Bolhak, Project Manager of the CSR Development Center, informed the participants of last year's experience in implementing the program in other cities of Ukraine and stated, “Last year, more than 150 young men and women from 5 cities of Ukraine graduated from the program and started their own business. This year we are implementing the program for the first time in Cherkasy. We have received over 60 applications, of which we have selected the 30 most motivated ones. We very much hope that the training will help enhance and develop the skills and improve the situation with the youth self-employment in your area”.

Maksym Zelenskyi, Head of the Cherkasy Oblast State Administration Department of Family, Youth and Sports, said, "We are very pleased that our youth have been able to fulfill their potential, and we want more young people to be self-reliant". Successful local start-ups have been invited to launch the program and have shared with the participants their own experience in starting businesses in IT, law and PR.

According to the founder of the "Faine Misto" discount-bonus network Valentyn Markovskyi, business should be very positive and optimistic. “I am glad to see so many blazing eyes. Our state is the citizens; our budget is filled by entrepreneurs. Our task is to share our experience, provide knowledge, help and guide you on the path to entrepreneurship as much as we can", the speaker said.

After that, the girls and boys participated in a coaching session “Letter to themselves in one month”, in which they wrote what they want to achieve in one month and what they can do for this today. For a better understanding of all business processes, the organizers have developed notebooks for participants, which contain a lot of useful information and practical tips for creating your own business.

“I felt like a child excitedly waiting for the New Year, looking forward for a gift long dreamed of. And the program offers many gifts: 4-hour sessions with experienced speakers, young businessmen, start-ups; research, scouting for and planning of business ideas, fostering the entrepreneur's mindset, networking and delicious coffee breaks, which we appreciate. That is why we are opening new horizons, we are boosting our own soft skills, we are building a secure future!", said the participant Kateryna Yaremenko.

Over the next three weeks, participants will study business analysis, legal aspects and financial literacy, marketing and finances with their coaches. The complete business plans will be presented as a result of the training. The first training sessions will be held on July 2 and 4.

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CSR Ukraine, CSR Development Center - an expert organization in Ukraine that brings together more than 40 large companies, jointly with which it has been promoting the principles of sustainable business and social responsibility, implementing its own social projects, providing consultations, holding seminars and trainings on CSR issues and reporting for both private companies and public authorities for more than ten years. It is a national partner of CSREurope (Brussels, Belgium) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (Geneva, Switzerland). www.csr-ukraine.org

The UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is a leading UN agency focusing on gender equality, reproductive health and capacity building for young people. We work with partners in 150 countries and territories around the world, and since 1997 we operate in Ukraine to promote equality, overcome gender stereotypes, enhance women's opportunities, support equal distribution of household chores, and involve men in raising children. Since 2015, together with the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, the campaign "4 Hands Happiness" has been launched. More information about UNFPA and our work in Ukraine: www.ukraine.unfpa.org. Follow UNFPA's Twitter and Facebook activities.