Education to Employment Continues Supporting the Development of Occupation Standards Aligned with Labour Market Needs

The “Education to Employment” project continues to support the development of Serbia’s occupation system through the third cycle of drafting occupation standards, this time focusing on 30 occupations in the fields of transport, storage and construction.

As part of this process, the first two structured group discussions with employers were held on 18 and 19 June 2026 at the premises of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. The discussions brought together representatives of companies whose knowledge, experience and understanding of real labour market needs are essential for developing occupation standards that reflect the actual requirements of jobs in the economy.

This activity is implemented as part of broader support to the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in the development of the National Standard Classification of Occupations. In the previous period, this support resulted in the development of the Occupation Codebook and 33 draft occupation standards. The new cycle continues with the aim of further improving the quality of information on occupations obtained from the economy as a key resource when it comes to performing occupations in the labour market.

Occupation standards are an important basis for better linking education, training and the needs of the economy. They describe duties and tasks, required knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions for specific occupations, contributing to better human resources planning, career guidance and the development of relevant education and training programmes.

The direct involvement of employers is a particularly important part of this process. Their practical experience and expertise help ensure that draft occupation standards are based on real workplace requirements, changes in business processes and the needs of the modern economy.

The “Education to Employment” project would like to thank Imlek, Metalac, Dubrast Konsalting, Uniplast, Milšped, IKEA, Jaffa, NELT, Ananas and the Belgrade Public Transport Company GSP Beograd for recognising the importance of developing the occupation system and enabling their employees to take part in these discussions.

We also extend our gratitude to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia for its support and partnership in organising the workshops.

The “Education to Employment” project will continue to support processes that contribute to better alignment between education, training and labour market needs, with the active involvement of institutions, employers and other relevant stakeholders.