A new initiative to empower young people and bridge the gap between education and the labour market was presented on Monday, 29 June 2026. The Bridge to Employment: Future READY (BE Future READY) programme is implemented by New Agriculture New Generation in partnership with ActionAid, with the support of Citi Foundation, and aims to support more than 500 young people across Greece.
The programme was presented at the offices of Citi Greece in Athens. The event was attended by Emilios Kyriakou, CEO and Head of Banking for Citi Greece, Cyprus & Malta, Effie Lazaridou, CEO of New Agriculture New Generation, Eva Polyzogopoulou, General Director of ActionAid Greece, and Dimitris Voloudakis, Programmes Director at New Agriculture New Generation.
Following a brief welcome by the representatives of the organisations implementing the programme, Mr Voloudakis presented its main features.
The Bridge to Employment: Future READY Programme
Bridge to Employment: Future READY will run until February 2028 and aims to build a meaningful and sustainable pathway to employment, placing particular emphasis on young people from vulnerable social and economic backgrounds, rural and semi-urban areas, as well as young people with migrant or refugee backgrounds.
The programme primarily targets young people aged 15–24, while a smaller percentage of participants aged 25–29 will also be eligible to take part. Through a comprehensive portfolio of activities, the programme invests in developing skills that respond to the needs of today’s labour market, offering vocational training, Green Skills education, financial and digital literacy, career guidance, counselling services, mentoring, and direct networking opportunities with employers.
By leveraging CULTIVATE, the digital learning platform developed by New Agriculture New Generation, the programme ensures that young people from every region of Greece have access to educational resources, counselling services and professional development opportunities, regardless of where they live.
The Role of the Implementing Organisations
As the lead implementing organisation of the Bridge to Employment: Future READY programme, New Agriculture New Generation is responsible for the overall design, coordination and implementation of the programme’s activities. Building on its experience and expertise in designing high-impact educational programmes, the organisation develops initiatives that strengthen young people’s skills and create meaningful pathways to employment, with particular emphasis on the agrifood sector and the green economy.
Within the framework of the programme, ActionAid is responsible for implementing activities focused on developing financial, digital and employability skills. More specifically, through 10 experiential training camps, one business ideas Hackathon, 100 personalised mentoring sessions, two Job Fairs in Athens and Thessaloniki, ten employability skills seminar cycles, and collaborations with employers, among other activities, the programme aims to equip young people with the knowledge, confidence and opportunities they need to plan their next professional steps.
The Programme’s First Action
The programme’s first educational initiative is the Green Skills training cycle, implemented by New Agriculture New Generation, launching on 1 July 2026. It will provide participants with knowledge and skills related to sustainable development, the green economy and modern practices in the agrifood sector.
The programme includes four 60-hour training cycles, aiming to engage 240 young participants, who will receive ACTA certification upon successful completion. The training is delivered entirely online through the CULTIVATE platform, combining asynchronous learning, educational resources, self-study and assessment, and will remain available until December 2027.
Statements
During the presentation, Emilios Kyriakou stated:
“The future of Greek agrifood lies with the younger generation, and Future READY is an investment in exactly that. Through the exclusive support of Citi Foundation and the voluntary participation of Citi Greece executives as mentors, we are helping young people develop their skills while discovering and unlocking their potential. In doing so, we are also contributing to the strengthening of the agrifood sector, a key pillar of Greece’s economic development.”
Effie Lazaridou commented:
“Bridge to Employment: Future READY is a particularly important initiative made possible through the support of Citi Foundation. At New Agriculture New Generation, we draw on our experience in skills development, education and entrepreneurship support to offer young people meaningful opportunities for personal and professional growth. Our collaboration with ActionAid Hellas gives the programme a holistic character, combining the development of modern skills, career preparation, entrepreneurship support and meaningful connections with the labour market. We believe that only through partnerships like these can we create real prospects and provide meaningful opportunities to groups of young people who might otherwise not have access to them.”
Eva Polyzogopoulou noted that for many young people, access to education, skills development and the labour market cannot be taken for granted, and that this challenge begins at a very early stage in life, while they are still children.
“The Be Future Ready programme serves as a catalyst, allowing us to extend the experience and expertise we have gained in developing financial, digital and employability skills—from our Community Centre in Athens and our Youth Centre in Thessaloniki—to every corner of Greece. We are truly delighted to be part of this collective effort and confident that, through this collaboration, we will achieve not only tangible results but also meaningful and lasting social change.”
Partnership with Citi Foundation
This marks the second time that New Agriculture New Generation has been selected by Citi Foundation as part of the Global Innovation Challenge, having previously been recognised in 2023 for the Social Farming 360 programme, implemented in collaboration with the General Secretariat for Anti-Crime Policy, ActionAid and Freedom Gate. At the same time, the organisation also participates in another Global Innovation Challenge initiative led by PRAKSIS, focusing on the labour market integration of people experiencing housing insecurity.
More information is available at: https://befutureready.gr/
