About Abebe Bikila Center
Abebe Bikila Center will support young people to develop and enhance different soft skills that will increase their chances of acquiring decent employment. The center will also provide young people access to different kinds of technical skills training by linking with different service providers.
It will establish links with major private sector employers; provide young job seekers with information on job, internship, and volunteering opportunities; and facilitate different networking events.
The Center will provide or will facilitate access to entrepreneurship and business management trainings for those who wish to embark on that part. It will assist with business proposal writing and will provide information about micro-credit opportunities. Career counseling, coaching and mentorship services will also be at the core of the services provided by the center.
Guiding Principles
Youth Needs
Effort will be made to make sure activities reflect their needs and priorities.
Structure
Young people will meaningfully participate in the governance structure of the center. In this way we will make sure young people’s voices are heard and decision are made informed of their needs and aspirations.
Youth Leadership
Advancing leadership skills of young people so that they can shape their future and contribute to societies development. Youth center programs will provide opportunities for youth to identify and practice leadership skills through leadership roles, teamwork exercises, and volunteerism.
Community Engagement
It is crucial to engage the community for the success of the center program and to building sustainability. Active involvement of parents, teachers, mentors, and other community members, leaders and get keepers helps support opportunities for continued learning, development, and leadership.
Safety
Ensuring safety of the center for all young people including adolescents, girls, and young women. The center needs to be safe from any physical and emotional and gender-based violence. There will be a zero-tolerance policy.
Diversity and Inclusion
We strive to be as inclusive as possible, reaching out and facilitating access to a diverse range of community members.
Partners
Taking into consideration the rising unemployment and underemployment among both educated and uneducated young people in Ethiopia, cognizant of lack of interventions that prepare young people for the work life by instilling in them necessary soft skills to make them competitive and; having understood the gap in strategies and programmes that link the demand and supply side of the job market for young people, Talent Youth Association (TaYA) joined hands with Addis Abeba Youth and Volunteer Coordination Office and the FDRE Jobs Creation Commission to embark on an innovative and first of its kind pilot programme by establishing and running a Youth Employment Center named after the renowned first black African Olympic gold medalist Abebe Bikila found in Arat Kilo.
