Sitemap

Oliver Streit, Head of the Education to Employment Project, NIRAS Germany GmbH Belgrade

Increasing Employment Opportunities in Serbia

The Education to Employment (E2E) project, representing a 12-year partnership project between the governments of Switzerland and Serbia, is entering its final phase, Phase III, which will run until 30th April 2028

Speaking in this interview, E2E Project Head Oliver Streit presents an overview of the upcoming activities and strategies that will drive Phase III forward, ensuring continued progress towards better employment opportunities and career paths for all.

Could you share with us the key goals and aspirations of Phase III of the E2E project?

— Phase III aims to create new or improved job opportunities for women, men, and vulnerable groups in Serbia.

We are focused on improving employment support services and implementing industry-led training programs to lift up the needed skills level for the companies’ demands. Our vision now is to provide decent job prospects and career paths for everyone in Serbia, not just for youth as we did in the previous period.

What have you achieved over the eight years of the project to date?

— Over the past eight years, the E2E project successfully introduced top-modern career guidance and counselling services through a network of nine Job Info Centres (JICs). These nine JICs reached 35,000 beneficiaries, who benefited directly. Furthermore, more than 2,700 unemployed young people received tailored work-based learning (WBL) opportunities with 205 companies, 80% of which was practical on-the-job learning within a company. The result was extremely surprising even for us, as more than 77% of participants gained their first job and decided to remain resident in their local communities and not, for instance, to leave the country in pursuit of better job opportunities abroad.

What is new for Phase III?

— We plan to enhance participants’ positions by improving employment support services, offering comprehensive career guidance and counselling (CGC) services, not only via JICs, but also through school partnerships, the national employment service (NES) and private employment agencies.

Could you explain the role of JICs in this phase?

— We established nine JICs across Serbia in Phase II. We are now planning to create the same opportunity for people in Belgrade and Novi Sad. These JICs in Phase III, co-financed and integrated into local communities, will serve as vital links between job seekers and the workforce needs of companies. The private sector will additionally contribute by offering practical, industry-led training solutions, which will be further enhanced through training advisory services and co-financed by local and national funds.

As you pointed out, in Phase III E2E will also offer some support at the national level. What strategies will be employed?

— At the national scale, we will engage an evidence-based, bottom-up feedback mechanism to ensure that relevant local innovations are mainstreamed, implemented and funded through national employment frameworks. This includes supporting amendments to the Law on Employment and improving the CGC legislative ecosystem. Our aim is to unlock funding and provide access to civil society organisations in order to enhance their participation in these initiatives.

What overall impact do you hope to achieve with Phase III?

— Our commitment is to drive innovations and embed products and services, and to thus create better employment opportunities for all. This new phase promises to make significant contributions to Serbia’s labour market, fostering an improved environment in which everyone can benefit from better job prospects and career paths, and in which strong local and national change agents offer their citizens improved services. We are really excited to continue these positive changes and to work with our partners, and we look forward to sharing more updates as we advance our mission and vision over the coming years.

Fionn Herriott, Managing Director, DHL Express

Global #1 Everything Starts With Service Quality

DHL is the world’s most international company, says Fionn Herriott, before proudly explaining that the company represents a globally connected team of international problem-solvers...

Dr Nevenka Raketić, M.D.Ph.D, Specialist in Pediatrics and Immunology, Owner and Founder of Polyclinic “Dr. Raketić”

The Healthy Face of the Family

Dr Nevenka Raketić has for decades been drawing on her extensive experience of both public institutions and private practice to provide healthcare services of...

Jovan Radulović, Legal Expert and Investor in Realestate Development

Pančevo is Becoming Part of Belgrade

Jovan Radulović reveals how Pančevo fits into his business philosophy, which emphasises the importance of the three main factors in residential construction: location, location...

Comment

Rewarding Friendship

Every successful relationship evolves, so future collaboration between Switzerland and Serbia will likely enhance sustainable FDI, boost Serbia’s innovation capacities and support the economy’s...

The EU Imported 105,000 Tons of Coconuts Worth 146 Million Euros Last Year

In 2023, European Union member states imported 105,104 tons of coconuts from non-EU countries, valued at 146 million euros,...

Novak Djokovic Secures Olympic Gold in Paris

In a historic display of tenacity and skill, Serbian tennis maestro Novak Djokovic triumphed over Spain's Carlos Alcaraz with...

Foreign Tourists Fuel Positive Trends in Serbian Tourism

Serbia has witnessed a significant boost in its tourism sector in June 2024, with a 6.6% increase in tourist...

EU and Serbia Sign Memorandum on Strategic Partnership for Sustainable Raw Materials

In a significant step towards enhancing cooperation in sustainable raw materials, battery production, and electric vehicles, the European Union...

Biden Ends Re-Election Bid, Backs Harris as Democratic Nominee

President Joe Biden has ended his re-election campaign, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him, after many Democrats...