TITAN and Youthnest – “Together” program for the empowerment of 150 young people

The “Together” program started in Thessaloniki, an initiative of the TITAN Efkarpia factory and the innovation body Youthnest for young professionals aged 25-35 in the greater Thessaloniki area. Recognizing both their needs and challenges, the program aims to empower 150 young people living and working in the city and the wider area, and to promote a balance between their professional and personal lives. Participation in the program is free and does not require a degree or specialization. The presentation event of the program was honored by the presence of the Deputy Regional Minister for Development and Environment of the Region of Central Macedonia Konstantinos Gioutikas and the Regional Councilor Nikolaos Tzollas.

Through research conducted on behalf of the program by the company Ierax Analytics, the conduct of focus groups and interviews, critical issues emerged in relation to the ability of professionals in the city to invest their knowledge and creativity in strengthening the professional ecosystem of Thessaloniki. In order for the young people of the city to find a safe environment for skills empowerment, exchange of views and support, the initiative together it has been developed as a holistic 5-month program (December-April) consisting of 4 pillars of action:

1. toget skills: The first pillar focuses on professional skills (soft & hard skills). Participants will have the opportunity, twice a month, to get acquainted with international trends in issues such as problem solving  and project management.

2. toget inspiration: Enhancing the self-confidence of young professionals in terms of their skills and knowledge, is the second pillar of action and an important part of the program, so once a month young people will talk to specialized professionals to solve questions and be inspired to improve professionally in various fields.

3. toget wellbeing: Achieving a balance between personal and professional life is one of the most basic principles of the program. The pillar of wellbeing highlights the value of disconnection while addressing issues such as the need for multi-role satisfaction and the concept of burnout.

4. toget network: The fourth pillar of the program, offers a strong networking among the 150 young people, partners and institutions of the city, in order to create new channels of communication, ideas, start-ups and opportunities to stay in the labor market of Thessaloniki.

With the experience and know-how of Youthnest and the executives of the TITAN Efkarpia factory, as well as through a wide network of collaborations with specialists, agencies and organizations of the city, the program aims to give young people who will participate useful supplies to achieve a positive change. in their life.

In the context of the presentation of the “Together” program, the Director of the TITAN Efkarpia Factory, Costas Nikolaou stated: “The Efkarpia factory, but also TITAN as a whole, has a strong commitment to the new generation. For years we have been firmly supporting the education and development of pupils, students and young scientists, because they are the future. We recognize, however, that there are many obstacles. That is why we are taking the initiative, through a participatory effort, to contribute to the empowerment of 150 young people in our city, in order to overcome the challenges and confidently claim a successful professional future. Together with Youthnest we use our experience, utilize our know-how, offering young people tools, support, and inspiration “.

The Founder and Director of the Youthnest innovation organization, Thalia Rizou, stated in this regard: “We started the Youthnest innovation organization 5 years ago with the aim of living and working in Thessaloniki with dignity. We have experienced very strongly the challenges that a young professional faces and that is why we created the program together with Titan, in order to face them. The balance of personal-professional life, the digital burnout, the strengthening of our skills (skills), are just some of the issues that we will touch together with 150 young people aged 25-35 in the 5-month program together “.