Youth Employment Partnerships in Serbia

The project aims at increasing the effectiveness of labour market institutions, including the social partners, in addressing the youth employment challenge. The project strategy lies on two major components that combine the strengthening of the capacity of institutions to implement youth employment policies and programmes with demonstration programmes directed at the creation of more and better jobs for young people. The institutional development component will comprise the development of a combination of knowledge and tools for advocacy and services. A coordinated and integrated approach to youth employment will be promoted through the involvement of different ministries and agencies, both at the central and local levels. The project strategy is also designed to bring the social partners closer to the decision making process, thus ensuring broader consultation and participation in policy and programme implementation. The capacity of policy-makers, managers and staff of participating national institutions and the social partners will be strengthened through a series of advisory services (e.g. management and training programmes, as well as one-to-one and group coaching activities) centred on the monitoring and evaluation of policies, strategies and action-oriented programmes. The main outcomes of this component will be related to the implementation of the measures foreseen in the national action plan on youth employment. The direct support component foresees the implementation of integrated active labour market programmes. This component will support targeted programmes for disadvantaged youth, especially those who face discrimination, poverty and social exclusion, as well as redress wide gender inequalities in access to employment and training services and, ultimately, to the labour market. For piloting purposes, a youth employment and training fund will be established through a co-financing mechanism between the Italian funded project (50 per cent) and the Employment Department, Ministry of Economy and Regional Development (50 per cent). The programmes financed by the Fund will provide hands-on experience as well as knowledge that will in turn contribute to strengthening the institutional capacity.

Project symbol

SRB/07/01/ITA

Admin unit

DWT/CO-Budapest

Start date

01/10/2007

End date

31/12/2010

Total allocation

1186466

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

1186466

Development Partners

Italy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Country/Countries

Serbia

Outcomes

Skills Development