More on the YWC Programme – Why should you apply..
The YWC Programme targets young people, aged 18 - 30 years old and currently based in Europe, who wish to gain tools and knowledge and expand their network to pursue a career within the water and climate sector. It also targets youth who wish to further strengthen their entrepreneurial water & climate project.
If you are interested: Register for Youth for Water and Climate Programme - Phase 2 ! (google.com)
Important dates
✔️ 5 October 2023: Information session
✔️ 19 October 2023: Deadline to submit your application
✔️ November 2023: Results of the application
✔️ 11-15 December 2023: 1st in-person workshop in Strasbourg, France
✔️ February – August 2024: Online meetings and learning activities, mentoring process
✔️ End of August 2024 (TBD): 2nd in-person workshop in Stockholm and closing of the programme
The 2023-2024 YWC Programme is presented in partnership with GWP Hungary, Vilnus University, Group of the European Youth for Change, Earth Forever Foundation, WaveMakers United & GWP Mediterranean. It is a 9-month capacity-building programme, led by the International Secretariat for Water – Solidarity Water Europe (ISW) with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Agence de l’Eau Artois-Picardie.
In the water sector, indicators show that there are serious gaps in the work force due to the shortage of human resources, differences in the skills required depending on the rural or urban environment, the lack of incentives for workers, and the lack of coordination between the needs of the industry and the offering at educational institutions.
The YWC Programme aims to address these gaps and equip young people to become leaders and entrepreneurs to address the challenges of sustainable management of water resources, build climate resilience and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.
The tools, structure and content of the YWC programme were developed with a consortium of partners including the Global Water Partnership (GWP), GWP – Central and Eastern Europe, cewas, GWP Hungary and Good Planet Belgium.
More on the YWC Programme – Why should you apply..
During the pilot phase in 2022, 20 young professionals aged 18-30 years old from France, Sweden, Slovakia, Hungary and Belgium, took part in the 8-month programme which combined in-person workshops, a mentorship opportunity, support in finding an internship, a community of practice and an online curriculum.
The young professionals acquired transversal and specific skills to develop bankable projects or access employment opportunities. As a result of the program, 100% of participants are now either studying or employed in the water & climate space.
Youth for Water and Climate Roadbook
Following the pilot phase, the YWC Programme partners have developed materials which are now accessible to all youth and organizations to replicate and expand the initiative. One of the main outputs of the Programme is the Youth for Water and Climate Roadbook, which is intended to help guide any organization interested in implementing a programme or initiative to support early career professionals as they enter the water & climate space.
This document proposes some “food for thought” to enable any organization to replicate the project at their own level and in their own field of expertise.
What you will learn
As participants of the programme you will learn and boost your skills through international seminars where you will interact and gain insights on water related issues specific to each country from local experts. You will also enjoy personalized workshops in line with the key themes of the programme through the YWC Curriculum. The YWC Curriculum is an open source and freely available online course which provides the tools and skills to needed to face our climate and water challenges.
The objective of the curriculum is to provide cross-disciplinary leadership and methodological skills, that can be applied to water & climate solutions in your professional career, or as an independent entrepreneur. This can be done at your own pace online.
During the YWC programme, you will be matched with a mentor to help guide you and share insights on navigating different career paths in the sector. The connections made in the programme will be further enhanced through the online community of practice where you will be able to continue to build interactions with your peers, mentors and partners.
Key takeaways and impact
Here are some of the key takeaways and impact the programme has had on the participants, partners and mentors.
We often wonder about the impact our work is having on a large scale, but, with the mentorship, I was able to see the difference i was making in fostering the future capacities of at least one person. It was worth it. - Danielle Gaillard Piché, Mentor, Global Water Partnership
The community you build and networking opportunity you get through this Programme is unparalleled. – Chandrakant Singh, YWC participant