“Should you wish for a better life, engage in lifelong learning” : the experiential learning theory investigating the relation between non-formal education and youth employability in the Republic of Armenia

Sammanfattning: The paper examines the relationship between non-formal education activities and youth employability in the Republic of Armenia. A case study has been conducted in order to identify soft skills competitive in the labour market and see to what extent non-formal education increases youth productivity thus helping them get engaged in the job market. Another thing that the paper aims to study is the role of the Government in overseeing the quality of skills offered by non-formal education activities. Firstly, the paper presents previous research conducted on non-formal education and youth employability as well as talks about Armenian context. The experiential learning theory developed by David Kolb guides the analysis and helps identify the main reasons for the popularity of non-formal education activities among the youth. The data for analysis was gathered through interviews with three key informants and 18 alumni of non-formal educational centers that are engaged in the labour market. The study shows a notable relation between non-formal education and youth employability as the majority of respondents could enter the job market due to the skills developed through non-formal activities.