AMAA Partners with UNDP, UNHCR to Create Job Opportunities in Armenia

New Graduates Mostly Displaced from Syria and Ukraine Offered Internships in Armenia

Around 60 fresh graduates, mostly displaced youth from Syria and Ukraine, will be offered six-month paid internships in private companies in Armenia as a result of a tripartite partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representations in Armenia, and the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA).

UNDP’s Youth Career Trail initiative is a paid internship program that offers fresh graduates an opportunity to be involved for the first time in employment relevant to their education, and to gain the necessary work experience and practical knowledge for future job opportunities. During the period 2007-14, UNDP implemented five phases of the YCT initiative. In total, 240 fresh graduates have completed the paid internships in Yerevan and in 6 regions of Armenia, and around 60 percent of them were offered permanent employment by the host organizations and companies at the end of their internship.

“Syrian Armenians are industrious, creative, spirited, and productive,” said Zaven Khanjian, the executive director/CEO of AMAA. “Employers in Armenia are in need of a qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable workforce. This program delivers the need resulting in a win-win situation for the homeland. The AMAA will continue to partner and sponsor similar productive programs.”

The AMAA was founded in Worcester, Mass., in 1918 and incorporated in New York in 1920 with the purpose of strengthening and supporting the Armenian people in their Christian faith and to encourage religious education as well as literary and philanthropic work. Since its founding, the AMAA has expanded its programs of educational, evangelistic, relief, social services, church, and child care ministries to 24 countries around the world.

For more information about the AMAA ministries, visit www.amaa.org or call the AMAA headquarters at (201) 265-2607.