Roma Digital Boost Training of Trainers – Modul 1, a three-day workshop, was held this week in Popova Sapka in North Macedonia. It gathered around 15 young Roma and aimed to equip them with digital and social media knowledge, as well as to train them on how to pass their newly gained skills to their peers.

By supporting and organizing the Roma Digital Boost Training of Trainers programme, we aim to create a group of Roma who will be the accelerator of knowledge, including coaching with various ways of helping entrepreneurs mainly in startup accelerator programs, where entrepreneurs lack knowledge, skills, and experience. The second aim is to support already developed businesses in transitioning from traditional work to digital. The training aims to provide a unique opportunity for young Roma to become trainers and consultants on business digitalization and work further with Roma entrepreneurs.

These intensive workshops for soft and advanced skills in communication and presentation, mitigating risks and challenging processes, and creating a website, have both theoretical sessions and practical exercises with simulation, and are particularly important for disadvantaged groups, such as Roma. Namely, digital literacy is an essential part of today's world because it allows people to have more opportunities for employment and business development. These benefits also help reduce poverty rates and contribute to the overall economy, as they help Roma access the job market and get jobs that are paid better.

To implement this training, the Regional Cooperation Council Roma Integration action team has established a professional partnership with the Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI). The training consists of three modules in total, and the remaining workshops will be held from 22 to 24 June (Modul 2), and from 11 to 13 July (Module 3).