On Wednesday, July 1st, 2015, civil society organizations and local institutions during a joint meeting in Pristina discussed the factors affecting employability of young people.
The Kosovo organization Lens had the opportunity to inform the participants about their recent analysis of the factors affecting youth employment in the country, an analysis developed within the project to advocate better employment policies for young people. The project is part of a regional initiative through which the organizations involved are aiming at comprehensive employment policies, the same being developed throughout the region.
The participants at the meeting, including officials from the Ministry of Youth, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, as well as representatives of businesses and non-governmental organizations, discussed about the few opportunities offered to young people in today’s labor market.
Of all, the concern of high unemployment among young people is due to the low economic development that Kosovo is marking. It was discussed about the initiatives of the Government and non-governmental organizations to address the problem of youth unemployment, whereby the director of the youth department Xhevat Bajrami emphasized the need for coordination and harmonization of these interventions in order to avoid duplication of initiatives the same. Bujar Ejupi showed on some of the findings of the Lens analysis, among others spoke about the reflection of young people during the research, who say employment is currently not based on qualifications, but depends on direct links and recommendations. Lack of planning and orientation is leading young people towards mass orientation in some careers and professions that are not offering employment opportunities, as there are shifts from careers that require less academic qualifications. Ejupi went on to say that research has shown that there is a lack of general knowledge on the part of unemployed and employers on employment services provided by the country’s institutions. While a significant number of the unemployed enrolled in them have a primary focus to benefit from social schemes, and will not consider employment offered unless it is long-lasting and safe.
Presented programs and opportunities for skills training of the unemployed, which beneficiaries are qualified as limited in terms of quantity, opportunities and choice of programs. The participants emphasized the need for school promotion and vocational training as well as the need to expand these services. Currently in Kosovo training services offer only 8 Vocational Training Centers (VTCs). According to the CCA leader Prizren Sinan Gashi, the labor market needs more planning and career orientation that instead of university will orient the youngsters towards the required professions that offer employment opportunities.
The project is supported by the European Commission and by Friedrich Ebert Shtiftung in Pristina. It is being implemented by a network of organizations from Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and is being coordinated by ADP ZID (from Montenegro).
All comments of this meeting will be included in the document with recommendations for comprehensive youth employment policies. More about the project can be found here, it will continue throughout the year to advocate for better and more comprehensive youth employment policies.