Regardless of your profession, become a professional master. The Best Apprentice awarding ceremony held at the President’s Residence

Today, the awarding ceremony of the competition “The Best Apprentice,” organized within the framework of the project Developing Apprenticeship in Armenia, Based on Swiss Experience, took place at the President’s Residence.

The project, implemented jointly with the Miasin (Together) Foundation and the Swiss organization GAN (Global Apprenticeship Network), is supported by the Municipality of Geneva. It aims at ensuring a smooth transition for the students of secondary vocational education institutions in the regions from the educational institution to the labour market. The project includes sixteen educational institutions from Shirak, Lori, Syunik, Kotayk, Gegharkunik, Tavush regions and two colleges from Yerevan.

Welcoming the project implementation and the organized award ceremony, the President of the Republic, Armen Sarkissian, emphasized for the younger generation the importance of revealing their talents and becoming professionals in their specializations. "I am confident everyone of you has a talent in some field. Professionalism is what you have to strive for over the years. It is a long way from talent to professionalism. That way, of course, is not easy. One needs dedication, love towards the chosen profession, and disciplined work of many years, the President emphasized, adding: Apart from talent and professionalism, love and devotion, there is a third component: having a teacher, a master."

Emphasizing the role of a master, President Sarkissian noted that talent, work, and devotion are not enough if a person does not find his teacher in life, the one who will pass on his life experience and devotion. "This is true for all professions. A teacher is essential in math, music, painting, and other spheres. The master is one of the highest titles for our people, perhaps the highest. I want to reiterate: regardless of your profession, become a master, become a professional master.”

According to the President, we can be proud because professionalism and crafts have had a great place in the life of our people. "In Gyumri, for example, there is a beautiful word - usta, which means master. Gyumri was a city of masters. We must do our best to keep that city as it is, or restore it by you and develop it, and also all our settlements. "

The RA Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan highly appreciated the initiative, emphasizing that it promotes the development of professional qualities and skills of young specialists. "Master classes and trainings, held in eight regions of the Republic, enabled our young people to become more competitive, and move from an educational institution to the labour market."

Werner Tutt, Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Swiss Confederation in Armenia, considered such an event inspiring. "With this support, we hope that the successful young people will be ready to take their future into their hands and contribute to the successful future of Armenia. "

Astghik Maranjyan, the head of the Miasin Foundation, implementing the program, presented the process and results of the program. The Best Apprentice awarding ceremony is taking place for the first time under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Armenia. I hope this will be an annual event. With this symbolic award, we want to say that in any profession one can strive for perfection, quality, and excellence.

During the event, all the young people participating in the program received promotional gifts, and the top ten symbolic prizes. The representatives of educational institutions and employers, involved in the program, received certificates of appreciation.