Dates of the event: 26-31 May 2017
Place: Brestnik, Bulgaria
Between 26th and 31st May 2017 a training course for youth workers “Volunteer management and recognition” took place at hotel complex Berkut, village Brestnik, region of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The activity is part of the project “Volunteering – a pathway to employment”, implemented by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bulgaria Association and funded by Key Action 1 of Erasmus + program. 30 people from 13 countries participated – Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Spain, Croatia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, The Netherlands, and Italy. The training is the second activity of this project, preceded by a seminar “Volunteering does make a difference” which took place between 1st and 5th March 2017 and it is followed by a youth exchange “Volunteering – success in progress” due to be realized between 2nd and 8th October 2017.
The project is aimed at creating a sustainable partnership network between organizations, promoting volunteering as a factor of employment and encouraging long-term projects and initiatives in this direction. It is focused on raising the awareness of youth workers and young people in terms of how volunteering encourages social inclusion and improves the skills for adaptability to the labor market. One of the objectives of “Volunteering – a pathway to employment” is to give young people a chance to be attracted to the benefits of the non-formal education and acquiring new knowledge through volunteering.
The training course “Volunteer management and recognition” presented in details all the aspects of volunteer management process (recruitment, orientation, training, supervision, support, evaluation, recognition, certification, etc.) and also enhanced the capacity of the participants in terms of stimulating volunteering through new knowledge, required for successful professional realization. During the training a lot of workshops took place and they helped the participants to put themselves in real life situations and to take a decision about plenty of cases. Many energizers and games supported the creation of a good group dynamics and teamwork. The intercultural nights brought the right atmosphere to get to know the different traditions and specifications of the all the countries involved. 
The main trainer was Gabrijela Boshkov from Macedonia. The participants had the chance to meet Stanislava Tasheva – projects manager at Municipal Foundation Plovdiv 2019 which is responsible for preparation, coordination, and implementation of Plovdiv – European capital of culture 2019. She introduced the audience to the Foundation’s projects as well as to their work with both national and EVS volunteers. The participants became also a part of Maya Geneva’s story – a volunteer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bulgaria Association who shared her experience as a volunteer in India. She had prepared a workshop of her own and thus created a contact with the audience through involving them in the whole process of coordinating and managing international volunteers. Danka Brumen and Mateja Gabor as youth workers at Association Strive! presented volunteering situation and system in Croatia, food, customs and simulation of the traditional game “Sinjska alka”.
The activity ended with presenting Youthpass certificates, promises for reunions and plenty of smiles due to the valuable and pleasant week spent in Brestnik, Plovdiv.
Author: Julia Petkova
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