AIESEC celebrates launch of YouthLink
View(s):Youth development is alive and kicking in Sri Lanka, with many initiatives, programmes and projects being successfully organised by various groups and individuals. One problem before now is that there was no efficient way forthose working for youth development to share updates with each other, get to know about relevant events and opportunities, find connections to collaborate, as well as promote their own opportunities for youth to participate.
Representatives from the executive board of AIESEC Sri Lanka recently attended the launch of YouthLink, a unique online space which acts as a platform for collaboration on youth development work and an amplifier for communication about and advocacy for young people.
One of the most pressing issues for Sri Lanka’s future is to develop young citizens with relevant skills and competencies. The country needs the human capacity to fulfill its potential and keep up with a high rate of economic growth. For graduates and students, having skills applicable in any industry, such as communication, public speaking, selling & negotiation, project management, plus a global mindset and an ability to learn are the most important attributesto thrive in the modern marketplace. Proficiency in these areas and real-life experience is more crucial than any expensive course or certificate. AIESEC is a unique platform for young people to gain this experience in a global environment through the leadership and exchange programmes.
YouthLink is a way for young people to keep informed about such opportunities from organisations like AIESEC. The International Experience programme gives recent graduates and students the opportunity to travel, live and have an internship abroad. It is open to applicants from any background obtaining a degree, from any university or institution, who have high potential, meet the expectations and who pass the selection criteria.
Participants return to find they have a distinct advantage over their peers in a competitive job market through the professional and personal growth they have gained. Not only that, the programme is one of the most fun, unique & exciting ways to connect with like-minded youth from Sri Lanka and all over the world, as evidenced by the testimonials and stories of past interns linked to the YouthLink site. Other opportunities for students include participation at events such as the Global Village on 28th January, Youth Leadership Day on 7th February, United Nations Day on 11thFebruary & Youth Empowerment Day on 19th Feb. Through YouthLink, AIESEC can keep young people throughout the country updated with details and open registrations for the various programmes, and thus have a greater impact through the site.
AIESEC has found that YouthLink is important not just as a portal for young people themselves. Other organisations working with youth or on youth issues also benefit, whether corporates, SMEs, social enterprises, NGOs, policy makers or advocates. YouthLink can act as a central hub for information & thus wastage of resources and duplication is avoided. One recent initiative powered by AIESEC, the Youth Empowerment Project, brings together 45 interns from more than ten countries to interact with and run workshops and skill building sessions in higher educational institutes. The project was made more effective by collaborating with some of the other groups who are also core partners for YouthLink, including Sri Lanka Youth, United Nations Volunteers, Institute for Policy Studies, and National Youth Policy. YouthLink will be an indispensible tool to build up similar projects in the future.
One highlight from the launch event was being able to network and meet face-to-face with other partners and participants in YouthLink. It offered a chance to solidify and develop ideas that emerged because of the creation of the site, strong evidence of the high potential impact YouthLink can bring about.
If the key to solving development issues lies in the simple act of working together to provide solutions, then the creation of YouthLink serves as a tipping point for Sri Lankan Youth and for the future of this nation to be brighter.
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