Between the 4 and 7 September, the European Union Programmes Agency in association with the Norwegian national Agency responsible for the Youth in Action programme, Aktiv Ungdom hosted the staff training for Youth Exchange officers. This annual training takes place in a different country every year and was hosted for the first time in Malta this year at the Regency Hotel in Sliema.

The intensive four day training event provided Youth Exchange officers with a common and clear understanding of the Youth Exchange programme, increase their motivation, help improve the quality of their work and encourage stronger ties and cooperation among the agencies from the 26 countries which participated as well as the European Commission, Youth in Action staff in Brussels.

Jo Claeys, the trainer for this event is a veteran of the Youth in Action programme with 17 years of experience in animating, training and instructing. He is currently providing international training consultancy and also develops informative & educative games for use in the youth work sphere.

During the event, local beneficiaries and participants in Youth Exchanges had the unique opportunity to meet European National Agency representatives, commission officials and trainers face to face. They were in a position to gain plenty of valuable insight whilst building their international network of connections.

Participating Maltese beneficiaries also played the crucial role of providing much needed feedback, suggestions and accounts of experiences to the commission and national agencies’ representatives from the other side of the fence.

Some questions asked of the beneficiaries including: how can national agencies and the commission provide greater support to beneficiaries organising youth exchanges as well as how obstacles and challenges encountered in the implementation of youth exchange projects could be overcome effectively and efficiently and most importantly, what are the factors that motivate youths to get involved in exchange projects.

This initiative was funded with the support of the European Commission (Directorate General Education and Culture). Information on the European Union Programmes Agency can be found at the agency website www.eupa.org.mt or on Facebook www.facebook.com/yiamalta and www.facebook.com/EUPAMALTA

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