What is the Youth for Water and Climate Programme ?

The Youth for Water and Climate (YWC) Programme is an 9-month capacity-building program, led by the International Secretariat for Water – Solidarity Water Europe with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Agence de l’Eau Artois-Picardie.

The tools, structure and content of the YWC programme were developed with a consortium of partners including the Global Water Partnership, Global Water Partnership – Central and Eastern Europe, cewas, Global Water Partnership Hungary and Good Planet Belgium.

The 2023-2024 YWC Programme is presented in partnership with Global Water Partnership Hungary, Vilnus University, Group of the European Youth for CHange, Earth Forever Foundation, WaveMakers United & Global Water Partnership Mediterranean.

In the water sector, indicators show that there are serious gaps in the workforce due to the shortage of human resources, differences in the skills required depending on the rural or urban environment, the lack of incentives for workers, and the lack of coordination between the needs of the industry and the offer of educational institutions. The YWC Programme aims to address these gaps and equip youth to become leaders and entrepreneurs to address the challenges of sustainable management of water resources, build climate resilience and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.

Climate change is disrupting weather patterns, leading to extreme weather events, unpredictable water availability, exacerbating water scarcity and contaminating water supplies. Climate change is happening now. We must act, and water is part of the solution. 

This program targets young people, aged 18 – 30 years old, who wish to gain tools and knowledge and expand their network to pursue a career within the water and climate sector. This program also targets youth who wish to further strengthen their entrepreneurial project in this space.

If this sounds like you, read on – you could be our ideal candidate for the program’s next phase!

Why should you join the YWC Programme?

• Learn and boost your skills

The program will offer a participation in up to two international workshops, a mentorship opportunity, support in finding an internship, a community of practice and a complete online curriculum to support youth who wish to further develop their professional skills and/or entrepreneurial skills in the water and climate sector.

Participants of the YWC Programme will take part in at least one 5-day international seminar, the first one being organized in Strasbourg, France (11th-15th, December 2023). The tentative date for the second in-person workshop is August 2024 (to be confirmed).

Through these international seminars, you’ll gain knowledge on water-related issues, with insights specific to each mobility country, by meeting local players in the field and reflecting together on the sector’s themes.

Finally, you’ll enjoy personalized workshops in line with the key themes of the YWC Curriculum.

The YWC Curriculum is an open-source and freely available online course which will provide you with the tools and skills to face our planet’s climate and water challenges.

The objective is also to provide you with cross-disciplinary leadership and methodological skills, so that you can apply your water & climate solutions in your professional career, or as an independent entrepreneur.

Throughout the YWC Programme, you will be invited to complete the online curriculum at your own pace.

Here are the themes of the modules that will be covered, which you will also deepen in workshops during the international seminars.

• • Take-up a career in the water & climate sector, 
  • Develop personal professional skills to become a great leader, 
  • Learn how to start an impactful business or plan your own project, 
  • Start a professional career in a water and climate organization.

Check out the online Curriculum developped by the YWC partners

• Receive mentoring from experienced professionals

During the entire program, you will be matched with a mentor, an experienced professional from the water and climate sector, with whom you shall connect at least once a month. You will receive guidance to maximize the impact of this relationship through the Mentorship Guide developed by the partners.

If you wish to take part in an internship in 2024, you will receive help to find an internship that suits your learning objectives. Even though we cannot guarantee an internship for all participants, we will do our very best to help guide you towards interesting opportunities.

• Join a wide community of practice

You will be invited to actively participate in an online community of practice with all mentors, partners, and young participants of the YWC Programme. The community of practice will be a safe platform for collaboration and coordinated action, building leadership capacity, sharing of ideas, and improving the quality of knowledge and learning approaches. You will be invited to take ownership of this space and actively participate in its design and management.

Practical information

Important dates

• October 5th 2023:  Information session
• October 19th 2023: Deadline to submit your application
• November 2023 : Results of the application
• 11th – 15th December 2023 :  1st in-person workshop in Strasbourg, France
• February – August 2024 : Online meetings and learning activities, mentoring process
• End of August 2024 (To be confirmed) : 2nd in-person workshop in Stockholm and closing of the programme

Throughout the program, monthly online activities will be organised through the community of practice. The agenda will be co-developed with the participants during the 1st Blended Mobility. Furthermore, the participants will also be invited to take leadership in organizing their own meetings with their mentor. 

What are the participation criteria ?

Participants profile

• You are between 18-30 years old
• Currently living in one of these countries: France, Romania,
  Bulgaria, Lithuania, Hungary, the Netherlands and Greece.
• Studying, working and/or volunteering in a field related to water
  and climate
• Strong commitment and interest for water and climate related
  issues (national, regional or international level)
• Significant motivation to take part in the program & availability
  to take part in all the program activities.
• Must be able to communicate in English
• Must have access to Internet
• Be fully available for the first mobility organized in Strasbourg
  from 11th to 15th December 2023

Fees and costs

Taking part to the YWC is free. The fees and costs related to the workshops will be covered by the program, including international travel, meals and accommodation. Participants should purchase a travel insurance at their own cost.

Read the complete application form for the complete participation criteria

How can I apply ?

To apply, you must submit this form, including the short 2min video presentation and the 200-word essay, before October 19^th 2023, 11:59 PM GMT.

Have any questions?

For any questions, please contact Clément Dolisi, Europe Office Coordinator at ISW-SWE: cdolisi@see-swe.org.

To download the call for application in PDF : Youth for Water and Climate Programme Call for application