Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

The programme aims to increase professional skills development, labour market integration, and business creation for youth, women and people living in vulnerable situations, such as people with disabilities as well as increase cooperation between labour market stakeholders and improve awareness and sustainable dialogue for better job integration of youth, women and people living in vulnerable situations, such as people with disabilities. (Contribution to SDG 1 (Target 1.4), SDG 4 (Target 4.4, 4.5), SDG 5 (Target 5.1, 5.5), SDG 8 (Target 8.6), GAP III thematic area: Promoting economic and social rights and empowering girls and women: Outcome 1, Outcome 4, Outcome 6).

Expected results

1.1) Young vulnerable people have received professional orientation and quality career guidance and are aware of their potential;

1.2) Young vulnerable people are enrolled in/have completed job skills training aligned to the local labour market;

1.3) Young vulnerable people made first work experiences, gained practical skills and were linked to potential employers;

1.4) Young vulnerable people were engaged in business counselling / incubation process and have started their own business;

2.1) Policy dialogue/cooperation between public institutions, local labour agencies and educational providers is established;

2.2) Regional advocacy campaigns conducted to foster stakeholder mobilization towards gender and vulnerability responsive labour market integration for youth.

Target group / Beneficiaries

The target group consists of 4.000 vulnerable young women/men between 15 and 30 years of age (50% female / 50% male; 8% minorities; 5% persons with disabilities), who are either (long-term) unemployed or in transition from school to labour market and at risk of becoming unemployed.

Target regions/locations: Albania (Kamza, Lezha, Shkodra), Bosnia-Herzegovina (Banja Luka, ?apljina, Mostar), Kosovo (Gjakovë, Mitrovica, Prizren, Ferizaj), Serbia (Niš, Irig, Šid, Zrenjanin).

Activities

Facilitate joint Guidance counsellors’ orientation (public and CSOs) and set up outreach counselling centers, Guidance counsellors provide counselling and accompaniment to youth; Implement trainings for soft skills (selection, upgrade curricula development, accompaniment, organization of regular trainings), Organise trainings for vocational skills (VET); Match potential businesses and potential internship candidates, Place interns in businesses and enterprises; Implement talent scouting – incubation process for youth business ideas; Run Start-up support programme, including green Start-Ups (grants); Conduct expert “feasibility analysis” of national and local policy framework related to youth employment regarding the project`s advocacy, Form and establish national advocacy teams, composed of different stakeholders’ representatives, public authorities, women, youth and environmental organizations, Advocacy teams develop national and/or local advocacy plans; Development, preparation and implementation of advocacy campaigns to promote role models of successful labour market integration of young women/men, Organise local awareness raising sessions.

Context

The programme will be implemented against the background of a high rate of unemployment of young vulnerable women/men in the targeted regions in Albania, Bosnia- and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia. Labour markets in the Western Balkan countries are characterized by high unemployment and a very ambivalent situation, even if employment decreased in all Western Balkan countries. In the “Western Balkans Regular Economic Report: Spring 2022” it is stressed that the region is now facing the effects of multiple shocks (Covid19, the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis) that will have social and economic impacts.