Promoting youth employment Autonomous Province of Vojvodina

Europe - Vojvodina

Vojvodina

Vojvodina - situated in the northern part of Serbia, in the Pannonian Plain of Central Europe

Area: 21.5O6 km2

Population: 2 million inhabitants

Sub-regions: • Bačka • Banat and • Srem

Features: • Pannonian Plain • Fruška Gora • Vršac Hills• Danube river

Europe in miniature

Vojvodina: multi-ethnic, multicultural, multilingual

6 official languages

More than 20 nationalities and

ethnic groups

Assesment of youth employment in AP Vojvodina

• In AP Vojvodina the number of youth exceeds 300.000

• Employment rate: 43.9% (the rest : unemployment + grey labour market)

Main challenges to be addressed• “No experience, no job – no job, no experience”• Substantial brain drain• Under- utilisation of manpower resources• Inadequacies in job quality• Skills-vacancy mismatches• Employment in rural areas

Strengthen partnerships

Partnership of national, regional and local level

Policy measures relevant to youth employment

Youth Policy Action Plan of AP Vojvodina 2011-2014

Vojvodina’s 2009 Programme for the Preservation of Jobs

Local Employment Action Plans in 43 out of 45 towns and municipalities in AP Vojvodina

Local Youth Entrepreneurship Action Plans in Serbia in 23 towns and municipalities in Serbia

Youth Policy Action Plan of AP Vojvodina 2011-2014

Objectives related to youth employment:

1. Improving the awareness of young people about job opportunities, job vacancies and jobs in demand.

2. Providing young people with additional training opportunities.

3. Supporting young entrepreneurs.

4. Improving school-to-work transition during and after education.

5. Improving the employability of particularly vulnerable groups of young people.

6. Active participation of civil society in developing and implementing employment strategies, action plans and programmes at a local and regional level.

Institutions involved with

youth issues• National Employment Service• AP Vojvodina Employment Council• Provincial Secretariat for Labour, Employment and Gender Equality• Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development• Provincial Secretariat for Sport and Youth• Local Self-Governments• Serbian Association of Employers – Employers of Vojvodina• University of Novi Sad• Centre for Career Development and Student Counselling • UNESCO Chair for Entrepreneurial Studies• Association of Disabled Students of Novi Sad

National Employment Service• 8 branch offices within Vojvodina’s main cities.

• Active employment policies:• Job fairs, • Vocational guidelines and career counseling,• Information on job vacancies,• Additional education and training (traineeship schemes),• Employment programmes and entrepreneurship development,• Subsidies for self-employment.

• The National Employment Service announces public calls for the implementation of programmes for acquiring practical knowledge and programmes for professional internship

Programme for acquiring practical knowledge

• For employers to employ persons with no qualifications who will gain practical knowledge and skills for work by performing simple and specific jobs.

• 6-month training period for unemployed persons with no qualifications and provision of at least 6-month employment period after the expiration of the training.

• During the implementation of the programme, the National Employment Service refunds the employers :

net pay of persons, taxes and contributions for social insurance.

Programme for professional internship• For unemployed persons who are to be professionally trained for the

first time for occupations for which they have acquired a certain type and level of professional background.

• Enable students to work independently and provide them with the possibility of taking the professional exam.

• Programme lasts up to 24 months.

• During professional practice the National Employment Service: Provides financial assistance to the involved persons, Coveres the incurred expenses in case of injuries and occupational

diseases.

AP Vojvodina Employment Council• Vojvodina’s 2009 Programme for the Preservation of Jobs identifies people

aged under 30 as a particularly vulnerable group on the labour market.

• Traineeship scheme of the Provincial Government: Each employer hiring a trainee for a period of 12 months was offered a subsidy equal to 10 months of that trainee’s salary. Each employer offering a job to a trainee, subsequent to passing a traineeship exam, was automatically granted priority for further subsidies.

• Allocations of subsidies to encourage employers to create new jobs and self-employment subsidies managed by the Provincial Secretariat for Labour, Employment and Gender Equality.

Vojvodina in action Provincial Secretariat for Labour, Employment

and Gender Equality

• Implementing active policy measures within the regional territory

• The agreement on the socio-economic cooperation among the Government of AP Vojvodina, companies and institutions aims to improve the social, economic and investment climate in the Province.

Vojvodina in action Provincial Secretariat for Science and

Technological Development

• Co-financing of workplaces for researchers-returnees from abroad

• The right of scientific research organizations in AP Vojvodina to apply for subsidies

• The areas of research are defined as priorities by ”400 young researchers for the road to European integration”.

• The first half of the work period will be financed by the Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development, while the second part by the scientific research organisation that employs the candidate.

" First Chance" Action An opportunity to engage unemployed PhD graduates in AP Vojvodina

by engaging them on work in scientific research projects lasting up to 12 months.

The provincial budget provides funding for the employment of 26 PhDs with registered residence on the territory of AP Vojvodina

The funds of the Secretariat for the “First Chance'' Action are allocated for:

• Researchers’ net pay according to the salary determined by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Government of Republic of Serbia,

• The project and overhead costs to institutions cooperating in the project, up to 5% of the total financial value of the project.

• The financial support for the “First Chance” Action is provided by the budget of AP Vojvodina.

Vojvodina in action Provincial Secretariat for Sport and Youth

• The Youth Sector finances projects related to Vojvodina’s Youth Policy Action Plan in the area of employment.

• Youth Offices established in 28 towns and municipalities in Vojvodina, to deal with improving the position of youth

in society including their situation in the labour market.

• Youth Councils which have been formed in 26 local towns and municipalities, all of which have adopted local youth action plans.

University of Novi Sad• Around 50,000 students

• In 2010 the Centre for Career Development and Student Counselling at the University of Novi Sad formed.

• University Students‘ Internship Programme in Local Governments in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina: a unique opportunity to obtain work experience and practical knowledge about the functioning of local authorities,

Growth sectors for employment Agriculture (food and beverage processing)

Manufacturing, chemicals and oil derivatives

Tourism

Cultural and creative industries in rural and urban areas

ICT related industries

Agro-tourism

Example of EU funded projectName of the project: „RSH- Romanian- Serbian- Hungarian Experience Exchanges in Employment for Young People“Lead Beneficiary: FSSB- Bethany Social Services Foundation, RomaniaPartners: Duga Association (SRB), VAGOE (HU), UVT- Universitatea de Vest (RO)Project timeframe: 12 monthsBudget: 226.176,00 €Overall objective: Development of capacities in order to increase opportunities for youth employment in the DKMT (DANUBE-KRIS-MURES-TISA) Euro-regionActions:• Implementation of 6 events of information and best practices exchange, divided in

two series, each of them encompassing 10 target groups from each country engaged in the project.

• Creation of publication that encompasses all presentations conducted within seminars and round tables including conclusions and best practices.

• International Conference regarding social inclusion and Equal opportunity policy regarding youth employment held and subsequent publication produced and internationally distributed.

Thank you for your attention!

Representative office of AP Vojvodina in Brusselswww.vojvodinahouse.eu