FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fund for Armenian Relief
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Edina N. Bobelian
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
October 25, 2004
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FAR 2004 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS LAUNCH A JOB TRAINING PROGRAM
To empower Armenia’s workforce and give people the tools they need to
survive in a challenging market place, the FAR 2004 Young Professionals
decided to establish a new program to help Armenia’s economic
development. Through FAR, the Young Professionals Job Training Program
will place able-bodied Armenians in three- to six-month internships to
learn marketable skills and gain on-the-job experience.
The idea for this program crystallized during a layover in London’s
Heathrow airport on the group’s return to the U.S. after a two-week
discovery of Armenia and Karabagh. As they reminisced, the Young
Professionals developed a plan. They had been moved by what they had
witnessed in the Homeland – the Young Professionals were driven from
site to site, allowing them to observe the socioeconomic conditions of
people living outside of Yerevan – and wanted to make a difference in
the lives of ordinary Armenians.
To help raise the standard of living in Armenia, where more than half
the population lives in poverty, the Young Professionals reasoned that
income-generating jobs are required. As families earn salaries, they
would be able to afford essential goods and services (a household’s
basic needs), raising them above the poverty line. This spending would
help stimulate Armenia’s economy, begetting opportunities for more jobs.
While they hope to achieve a positive change throughout the country, the
2004 Young Professionals remain pragmatic. They have established a
reasonable goal for the first year: place 10 Armenians in short-term
internships where they will have exposure to specialized training in
vital industries, develop contacts in local trades, benefit from
mentoring relationships, and receive a nominal monthly stipend.
Thereafter, the Job Training Program will be expanded.
The FAR 2004 Young Professionals will be hosting several fundraisers to
help finance the multi-year project. The first event is a Fall Happy
Hour on November 5, 2004 at Light NYC, located at 125 East 54th Street
(between Park & Lexington Avenues), New York, NY. Visit FAR’s website
for more information () and to make a tax-deductible
contribution online. Please specify that your donation is for the Young
Professionals Job Training Program.
FAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in New York,
with offices in Yerevan, Gyumri, and Stepanakert. For 15 years, FAR has
implemented various relief, development, social, educational, and
cultural projects valued at more than $250 million. It is the
preeminent relief and development organization operating there.
For more information on FAR and the Young Professionals Job Training
Program, contact us at 630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone
(212) 889-5150, fax (212) 889-4849; , [email protected].
— 10/25/04
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