On July 24-30, 2016, the Center for Entrepreneurial Education and Business Support (CEDA) oraganized the Summer School for Young Leaders , which took place at the rest camp “Romanita” from Vadul-lui-Voda . The participants – 60 girls from gymnasiums, lyceums, vocational schools, colleges, aged between 15 and 18, were mentored by 10 counselors – volunteers, aged between 18 and 35.
The Summer School for Young Leaders – 2016 is organized within the project “Re-Engeneering Vocational Orientation and Career Counceling for Moldovan labour force competitiveness” (REVOCC), implemented by CEDA, in the partnership with the Ministry of Education, the National Agency for Employment, and the financial support provided by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).
The subjects most valued by the participants of the Summer School for Young Leaders – 2016 were:
– “Personal Development Plan”
– “Volunteering – a career option “
– ” Entrepreneurship – a career option”
– “Meetings with successful career people and entrepreneurs “
– ” Educational path and perspective of a professional career ”
During the meetings with successful people in career / entrepreneurs the participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with their biography, identify educational and professional path, to discuss important decisions they have taken during the life, the risk factors and success factors for career.
On July 28, 2016, the following guests participated at the meeting with successful entrepreneurs:
Adriana Ivanişin – CEDA’s beneficiary, children’s event organizer
David Smith – Founder of „Smokehouse SRL”, restaurant
Liza Mămăligă – Founder of „Dulce Plai”, apiculture and Bio products
Geta Rasciuc – Entrepreneur, ergonomic systems for children carrying
Elena Scutaru – Founder of „Mara Woman”, social entrepreneurship, clothing made of natural fabrics sewed by women from the village Scoreni
On July 26, 2016, the following guests participated at the meeting with successful career people:
Iurie Arian – executive director of ”Coaliția nediscriminare”, rezident doctor, program coordinator of the Society of Family Planning
Veronica Boboc – President, ”Centrul Media pentru Tineri”
Lilia Golovei – psychologist, teacher, gymnasium ”Galata”, Chisinau
Veronica Crețu – President, ”Institutul pentru o Guvernare Deschisă / Open Government Instutute”
Augustina Șiman – writer, working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration
Ion Cihan, doctor
As a result of the Summer School, 96.7% of the participants defined their goals, formulated new goals, made a choice regarding their future profession. Then they developed a career development plan, which they presented in front of all group. The participants noted that the topics addressed gave them the possibility to reconfirm the decision on the chosen profession, to diminish the feeling of fear, doubts regarding the choice of profession; others, on the contrary, said that they changed their initial preferences and made a new choice.
When asked “If the Summer School have changed your future prospects, explain in which way?”, the participants mentioned that:
They have changed their prospects – 27, 10 of which want to be entrepreneurs, 2 innitially wanted to be a journalist, but after the Summer School want to be family doctors, 1 – changed preferences from a teacher or an economist to a designer
They have not changed the prospects, but in the contrary, they have an established career plan and got a greater precision on what they want to do in the future – 18.
When asked “What are you planning to do in your community after the Summer School?” the participants gave the following answers:
Communications, discussions, presentations, debates, informative hours, round tables, workshops, trainings, seminars, including a training at a rayon level – 34 participants
Volunteering Services – 3
Academy of small entrepreneurs – 1
Photography club – 1
Conclusions and recommendations:
Summer School is an effective working tool for developing a career plan. The resulting feedback of the Summer School shows that 7% of the partcipants have defined their career plans. Selection of the participants was made by examining their questionnaire form and their essay on topic “My profession in the future and the necesary qualities to be a good specialist in this field”. Out of 100 girls who have sent their documents were selected 60, whose essays were creative, innovative and whose CV demonstrated their active participation in the life of the educational institution and the community. All the topics addressed during the Summer School were interesting, some were of great interest, others – of an average interest. The most requested were team building activities, recreational games, team sports. The visibility of the Summer School, the feeling of belonging to the group was assured by the T-shirts and the handbags with symbol of the School. The involvement of counselors in the Summer School was voluntary, but regardless of this, they have been selected by competition. Counsellors had two general meetings before the Summer School, where were solved the organizational issues; they were consulted as well in the preparation of the activities by the CEDA’ s team. The performance of the counselors during the Summer School was highly appreciated by the participants (76.3% partcipants appreciated their performance as very good).
The model of the Summer School can be fully replicated locally, taking into consideration the CEDA’s experience; if necesarry, it can be done partially, as 1-2 days in summer camps organized by local public administration.
