Every young person at the start of a conscious life needs to understand what opportunities are available to them and where they can turn for support. In Belarus, such steps are combined into a coherent system that allows one to make plans and confidently move toward an independent life: to get an education, develop abilities, find oneself in a profession, and contribute to the country’s future. BISR analyst Ekaterina Petrashkevich told a BELTA correspondent about the advantages of youth policy in Belarus.
According to the expert, Belarus’s youth policy is, first and foremost, a set of support measures, a system of social guarantees, and conditions for development that encompass education, the first job, talent development, public activities, and self-realization.
“In a multifaceted world, it is important to offer a wide range of tools that fit into a trajectory understandable to every young person. In modern Belarus, young men and women can realize themselves in science, innovative projects, and creativity, and grow as professionals. Investments in youth are long-term investments in the future of Belarus, in its human resources, scientific, and technological potential,” says Ekaterina Petrashkevich.
The analyst emphasized that access to high-quality higher and specialized secondary education is complemented by a branched system of support for gifted youth, which includes admission benefits, increased scholarships, and opportunities to participate in Olympiads, competitions, and research projects. She separately noted the President’s scholarships for talented students, young scientists, and recipients of the Head of State’s grants, drawing attention to the increase in the financial component of these payments in 2026 and the improvement of approaches to providing state support.
At the same time, according to the expert, it is important that academic achievements open up opportunities for further growth.
“Studying successfully today is not just about good grades in a diary or record book; it is personal development and a contribution to the country’s future. Young people can choose their direction of development themselves. They can find themselves in various national projects, such as the ‘100 Ideas for Belarus’ or ‘100 Young Talents’ competitions, which create additional motivation for those who link their future with innovation and science. One can go further and realize oneself in the field of analytics thanks to the development of the youth analytical movement, which fosters in young people the ability to initiate research or a project, see potential solutions to specific tasks within it, find ways to implement them, and bring the initiative to a practical result. Public activity is also an important direction. Public organizations provide an opportunity to go beyond academic training and prove oneself in social and patriotic projects, the student brigade movement, creativity, charity, and volunteering,” stated Ekaterina Petrashkevich.
Overall, according to her, the country’s youth policy relies on a model of constructive professionalism.
“Positive changes require knowledge and daily labor. The next stage of our state system is a smooth transition to professional life. For a graduate of state-funded education, the state provides a job placement mechanism and a whole range of guarantees at the first workplace: start-up payments, legally provided incentive allowances for certain categories, relocation compensation, and credit and social support measures. Therefore, job placement should be perceived more broadly than just a mechanism for directing a graduate to an enterprise. I would consider job placement as a way to reduce the risks of the most difficult stage of a professional start, when a young person already has a diploma but not yet experience, a stable income, or an understanding of how to build a life independently,” the analyst noted.
Since the housing issue is of particular importance to young people, Ekaterina Petrashkevich is confident: the opportunity to obtain rental or service housing and to use the provided housing support mechanisms can significantly influence a young specialist’s decision to link their professional activities with a specific region or enterprise.
“Overall, education provides knowledge, scientific and project work teaches how to create something new, the first job allows one to apply what has been learned, social and housing mechanisms help to settle down, and public activity provides an opportunity to realize oneself beyond direct professional duties. At the same time, the support system itself cannot replace personal initiative. The state can provide a state-funded spot, a grant, a first job, conditions for scientific work, or participation in a public project, but the choice always remains with the young person. Therefore, youth policy operates at the intersection where state opportunities meet personal motivation. Success in studies or science matters far beyond the personal biography of a young person: today it is a diploma, research, or a startup, and tomorrow they are a strong teacher in a school, a doctor in a district hospital, a specialist at an enterprise, a technology developer, an innovator, or an entrepreneur,” emphasized Ekaterina Petrashkevich.
Summing up, she noted that the key advantage of the Belarusian model lies precisely in the systematic nature of the created opportunities. “A young person in our country does not need to blindly push their way through or look for fragmented paths to self-realization. The state offers a clear, consistent, and safe platform for every step of development,” the expert summarized.
Source: BELTA
