Covasna County’s new youth development program, the largest to date, will create six youth centers, train two hundred specialists, and provide personal, professional, and communal development opportunities to over three thousand young people over the next three years. The initiative is a partnership with the Covasna County Employment Agency and StartUp HUB, with support from the European Social Fund Plus – Education and Employment Program 2021–2027, totaling four million euros. The official launch event took place on October 22 at Orchideea Events, with nearly two hundred participants.
Kelemen Tibor, the director of AJOFM Covasna, emphasized that this program is an economic investment and a strategic step aimed at strengthening social cohesion and providing equal opportunities for young people in the county. “It is our responsibility to offer young people a real perspective on the future. For many of them, the main challenge is not a lack of talent or ambition, but rather a lack of accessible development tools. This program aims to fill that gap. We want young people to consciously plan their careers and build their future in their community. Through this initiative, we are building a bridge between youth development and labor market opportunities,” said the director.
Oltean Csongor, co-founder of StartUp HUB, emphasized that youth development encompasses more than financial support; it also involves a mindset shift where an entrepreneurial attitude, initiative, and innovation become essential. “Young people are not passive beneficiaries, but rather the engines of innovation. Our role is to create an inspirational environment where they have the courage to think, ask questions, and create,” he said. Youth centers will be spaces where they can learn to build businesses, develop digital and social skills, and contribute to the development of local communities. Encouraging young people’s entrepreneurial initiatives is essential for StartUp HUB because the creative energy of the new generation can become the engine of the local economy,” Csongor emphasized.
Grüman Éva, a youth expert, presented ways to integrate Erasmus+ program experiences into local youth development. She noted that many young people from Covasna have recently participated in Erasmus+ projects, youth exchanges, and courses, creating a solid foundation for the new program. “Support for young people becomes truly effective when we adapt European experiences to local needs. The Erasmus+ program has shown us that inclusion, sustainability, digitization, and active participation are values capable of generating real change in communities. Young people in Covasna have been actively involved in these international projects, and now it is time to implement these principles in the local community. Young people are not only participants but also creators of the process,” Grüman emphasized.
Silviu Popica, the deputy mayor of Întorsura Buzăului and a special guest at the conference, spoke about the importance of partnerships between local administrations and young people, as well as the institutionalization of youth participation. Întorsura Buzăului was the first town in the county to establish a youth advisory council that operates alongside the town hall and contributes directly to decision-making processes. “In any decision that affects young people, they must be part of the process. By creating the advisory council, we have sent a clear message that young people’s opinions matter and that their experiences are essential to community planning. We want to extend this model of involvement to other localities. I support the program launched at the county level because I believe youth participation in local government decisions is a democratic value and the key to community development,” Popica said.
The HÁRIT Association, the largest youth organization umbrella in the county, plays an important role in implementing the program. Antal Balázs, the president of HÁRIT, emphasized that the initiative’s success depends on close cooperation between youth organizations in Covasna County. He stressed that sustainable results can only be achieved through common goals and coordinated professional work. HÁRIT contributes its expertise to the formation of a true youth ecosystem in which young people actively participate in community planning, innovation, and local development processes.
The program’s main goal is to create an integrated youth network that connects educational, civic, and economic organizations to support long-term social cohesion and keep young people in their communities. The project pays special attention to interculturalism by involving Hungarian, Romanian, and Roma youth from Covasna County. The initiative will also establish a countywide network of youth organizations based on collaboration, shared learning, and partnerships. This will contribute to strengthening youth structures in the county in a sustainable way.
The creation of youth centers in Covasna represents a strategic change in approach to working with young people, as well as an infrastructure investment. The program consists of two complementary projects: CREATIV, which targets young people in urban areas, and ACTION, which targets young people in rural areas. Aligned with the European Union’s Youth Strategy (2019–2027), the initiative will transform Covasna County into a national model for youth participation, labor market integration, and community development.
