A total of 55 Certificates for successful completion of the training cycle in “Grant Management” and a total of 50 Certificates for successful completion of the seminar cycle in “Leadership & Management of Projects” were awarded at the Certificate Award Ceremony that was organised on 16.11.2017 in Hotel Kontinental in Skopje.
The Certificate Award Ceremony was in fact the central segment of the full-day Closing Event that marked the successful completion of the project Technical Assistance in Project Management and Monitoring of the Grant Scheme “Fostering Social Inclusion” EuropeAid/132633/C/SER/MULTI. The opening remarks were given by MLSP IPA Coordinator, Ms Aleksandra Slavkoska, and by the Head of MLSP IPA Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Ms Ankica Ivanovski.
The audience, more than 100 implementers, stakeholders and beneficiaries of the 38 Grant Projects endorsed under the 2nd Grant Scheme “Fostering Social Inclusion” EuropeAid/135012/M/ACT/MK and under the 3rd Grant Scheme “Social Inclusion and Employment at Local Level” EuropeAid/136315/ID/ACT/MK, were addressed personally by the Minister for Labour and Social Policy, Ms Mila Carovska and by the EU Delegation’s Head of Operations 2, Ms Virve Vimpari. They also awarded a number of honorary certificates to younger and senior training and seminar participants.
The morning session of the Closing Event was reserved for a Round Table on “Lessons Learned from Implementing Social Inclusion Projects”. Six crucial aspects of social inclusion of vulnerable people were covered with the discussion: Innovative Approaches in Linking Different Vulnerable Communities, Empowerment of Roma Women for Inclusion in the Labour Market, Empowerment of Youth for Inclusion in the Labour Market, Sustainable Benefits for Stakeholders, Employer Perspectives in Fostering Social Inclusion, and finally, Local Achievements through International Cooperation. Validity to the discussion on these topics was added by personal testimonials by project beneficiaries and stakeholders.
More than 30 projects from both Grant Schemes took the opportunity to organise stands and present themselves as well as their past, ongoing and future projects at the Project Fair that was staged in the afternoon session of the Closing Event. This was indeed a rare networking opportunity for grant recipients where they could promote their organisations, brainstorm and elaborate possible new project ideas, and build future partnerships.For the Project Team who had selflessly committed themselves to implementing the Technical Assistance Project, Ms Maria Marinakou, Team Leader & Senior Expert, Ms Andreja Tonč, Expert for EU Grants, and Mr Radomir Trajković, Assistant Team Leader, the Closing Event was an occasion of strong and mixed feeling. Although slightly saddened to part with their friends and colleagues after two years of day-to-day communication and intensive cooperation, the Project Team was also very happy and proud to see the level of education, capacity building, organisational development and personal growth that they are leaving behind in legacy of this Technical Assistance Project.