As one of the meetings being set up within our “Women of the Balkans for New Politics” initiative, round table on how to achieve greater employability of young women was held at BFPE on Thursday, 21 December.
We were lucky to have leading women from all fields of life at our table – business, development researchers and experts, youth activists and fellow civil society – who discussed in detail obstacles as well as opportunities for greater employability.
Facts speak for themselves: 250,000 people in Serbia remain employed in shadow economy; micro enterprises (10 employees or less) are not experiencing any growth; 19,7% of the youth remain in the so-called NEET category (“not in the education, employment, or training”); there is little or no convergence between what education is producing and the actual needs of the labor market.
On the other hand, it is clear that there are opportunities in leaning onto one own’s resources; green economy, technological and social innovation, as well as new technologies and motivating young people to enter the labor market through entrepreneurship. As one of the strategies or approaches taking best practice from foreign companies working in Serbia was suggested.
Advocacy efforts should, in the view of our guests, center on:
- making secondary education mandatory;
- bringing education and labor market needs closer;
- regulating internships in the next labor law and
- establishing social enterprises.
