First Public Discussion on Youth Employment and Youth Enterpreneurship

Wednesday, 11 February 2009 14:16

Representatives of the Government, diplomatic corps and business community talk with students at the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade

“Young people in Serbia need a flexible economy, able to create jobs and business enhancing environment”, said Michael Harvey, USAID Mission Director, at a discussion on youth employment held at the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade, on 11 February, and added that “one of the important USAID supported initiatives, that contribute to Serbia’s  economic development, is the Junior Achievement program organized by Serbian business leaders themselves, aimed at introducing entrepreneurial skills to secondary schools, and later to faculties, as well, and giving young students the opportunity to get a first-hand entrepreneurial experience”.

This discussion kicked-off   the “What is the area code for Europe” program designed, among others, towards establishing institutional support for enhancing youth employment and starting new youth entrepreneurship programs. In the absence of a clearly defined and structured public-private sector cooperation in Serbia, the program seeks to  establish such cooperation between ministries or other public institutions and the private sector via joint initiatives and programs (tutorship, expert training programs), and advocacy for redefining certain laws towards enhancing  youth employment and youth entrepreneurship.

Mladjan Dinkic, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Regional Development, who took part in the discussion as well, said that “the education system is the biggest hindrance to youth employment in Serbia,  by  generating experts not tailored to the needs of the society”, and added that “the education system needs a reform  in order  to match business demands with the qualifications developed, which implies setting opportunities for expert training and adjustment of the enrollment policy and curricula  with the labor market.”
Speakers in the meeting highlighted good practice examples from Coca Cola Hellenic, and certain challenges and obstacles encountered by employers when employing the young. Discussion focused on possible solutions, from the stand point of students, young entrepreneurs, employers, local community and state institutions, as well as on the effects of the global economic crisis on youth employment in Serbia and further development of youth entrepreneurship.

This discussion, as part of the “What is the area code for Europe” program, was organized by the Initiatives and Smart collective, in cooperation with the Student Career Development and Counseling Center of the Belgrade University. Launching of this program was supported by the USAID Economic Security program.