In recognition of Global Entrepreneurship Week, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Rafik Mansour spoke at the opening of an Embassy-funded career and entrepreneurship fair at the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan on Friday. Haykuhi Gevorgyan, a U.S. Embassy program alumna, coordinated the event, which featured workshops and discussion panels on topics including business startups, media literacy, and project management.
“During my time in Armenia I have come to admire the creative and innovative spirit of the Armenian people,” Chargé Mansour said. “The Armenian economy has great potential to grow and diversify, and it is young entrepreneurs like those here today who will help drive that change in the years to come.” The Embassy’s Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs, Ryan Campbell, participated in a panel discussion on responsible business practices alongside Mr. Ara Hovsepyan, Senior Country Representative, CountourGlobal LLP, Ms. Elina Margaryan, PA&C Director at Coca-Cola HBC Armenia, Mr. Karen Garaseferyan, CA&C Manager JTI, and Ms. Irina Dumanyan, Armenia Site Manager, Mentor Graphics Development Services CJSC.
“Responsible business conduct is of particular importance right now in Armenia as it strives to become more attractive to international investors, seeks to retain world-class talent, and works to eliminate corruption,” Mr. Campbell said. “Should they choose, Armenian businesses can lead by example, help achieve these goals, and join a global race to the top.”
Companies that have current vacancies attended the fair, hoping to recruit top Armenian talent for more than 200 open jobs, internships, and volunteer positions. These companies were encouraged by the outcome of last year’s fair, where 14 companies received 405 applications for 88 vacancies. Among the applications that met position requirements, 41 percent were employed as a direct result of the event.
The career and entrepreneurship fair is the flagship U.S. Embassy-supported event in Armenia during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), taking place November 12-18, 2018, in cities around the world. GEW is designed to celebrate self-starting innovators and connect entrepreneurs to potential collaborators, mentors, and investors. Since its inception in 2008, GEW has fostered the spirit of entrepreneurship globally with millions of participants at thousands of events in nearly 170 countries.
