E2E Story – A novelty: jobs for all youth

E2E Story – A novelty: jobs for all youth

Knjaževac: The public call for employers named “Employees to Fit Your Business“, which was published within the “Education to Employment” programme, will be open until the end of year. As opposed to the previous years, in the current year companies may apply for the WBL programmes even if they need university graduates, as well as if they expect more competences from the young people who are already working.

Taking into consideration the field experience, feedback from employers, the “Education to Employment” programme introduced in its new public call two important novelties which were not covered by the WBL programme before, Snežana Pavković, director of the Timok Club, said.

“We are including young people who have formal education or those who are in final year of higher education institutions or colleges. They will be able to gain necessary work experience through the WBL programme. We are also including those who are already in employment but who are expected by the companies to be trained to work in new production programmes, or with new machines“, Pavković explained.

She mentioned the example of “Aptiv“ company in Zaječar and “Eliksir“ company in Prahovo which expressed their interest both for new workers and for the training of their present staff to work with new machines.

“When we are talking about young people who have gained their education and possess qualifications, I believe that we have unjustifiably neglected them in the past. However, now we are offering them opportunity to acquire work experience and get a job. Most companies now employ older workers and need to recruit young staff. This is not always easy to do, particularly when the professions which are not covered by the school programmes are concerned, or when no formal education programmes are provided for them“, Snežana Pavković said.

She mentioned, as an example, the employers who need to employ butchers. Small companies dealing with meat processing have a problem to find staff. People who are formally trained for the job of a butcher in our country mostly get a job in large supermarket chains and small companies therefore encounter a problem with finding workers.

“There are schools which train people for this profession in Niš, and partly in Negotin as well, but it is not enough to satisfy all the needs. Although young people are not sufficiently motivated for these professions, there is a possibility for them to, through the “Education to Employment” programme, be trained and acquire the required qualifications“, she added.

The Timok Club maintains continuous contact with employers, the companies which are doing business in the territory of South-East Serbia.

“We are available for them if they have any ambiguities, questions, etc. One of those is how to reach young people, where to find them, considering that their search for young workforce through the National Employment Service often turns out to be fruitless. Our answer is: in the rural area. To spread information, we use posters and leaflets which we disseminate in rural communities. As opposed to the urban one, rural youth is often forced to adopt a number of different skills – to make repairs, to take part in activities going on in rural households. However, it is of critical importance that sometimes not even the secured job, nor the high pay and acquired competences, will be enough to motivate young people to accept a job. It is important that they are shown the benefits and the promotion and professional success opportunity within a profession“, Snežana Pavković said.

Employers who are interested in organising on-the-job training can fill out the application form on the programme’s website www.znanjemdoposla.rs or contact the Timok Club in Knjaževac.

Text and photo: Ljiljana Pavlović / Edited by: Sandra Vlatković