A Workplace Work Program agreement (PNP) was signed today between the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the companies that benefit from this program and the intern’s considered as unemployed. This program is implemented under UNDP’s Active Labor Market Programs 2, the Employment Agency of the Republic of Kosova and the Agency for Investment and Support of the Enterprises in the Republic of Kosova.
The implementation of this project will enable jobseekers who have graduated within a 24 months period in higher education institutions to pursue a 3-month internship practice in private sector enterprises to support workplace training and employment, but also long-term employment and more sustainable in the Repbulic of Kosova.
The Minister of MLSW, Skender Reçica, thanked the stakeholders that have supported and encourage the project in question and has informed the attendees that the implementation of this program today includes 200 graduate but unemployed people, where after the practice they will make, the opportunities will be great for them to stay at work. “Today is good news for youth of Kosova expecting to benefit from this project, because this program aims to expand opportunities to create new jobs for young people,” said among other things Minister Reçica.
The practice program at work supported and encouraged also the Minister of MTI Mr Bajram Hasani and deputy/representative of the United Nation for Development UNDP in the Republic of Kosova Mrs. Alessandra Roccasalvo, they pledged that with mutual cooperation will continue with further programs that will help improve the unemployment situation in our country. Mrs Roccasalvo in her speech addressed to the present youth said that what is most important and crucial to the future of the Republic of Kosova is currently the right direction towards advancement and employment in the private sector.
In the end, there was also gratitude for those companies and practitioners who has consistently demonstrated success and correctness during the implementation of the project.
Speech by Minister Reçica
Honorable Minister, Hasani
Honorable UNDP Representative Ms. Alessandra Roccasalvo
Honorable youth and new beneficiaries of this program, representatives of enterprises and businesses.
Thanking you for your participation in this ceremony, let me emphasise that within the commitments of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare with great dedication we are working on increasing employment and improving employment for young people. In this regard we are striving to achieve our objectives within the framework of the government program by supporting and enhancing the access of young people to the labor market through the provision of quality employment services and active employment measures, employment growth through entrepreneurship development , harmonization of vocational education and training, labor market requirements, provision of career orientation and career counselling and provision of professional practice outside the school.
To address more clearly the issue of youth employment, MLSW has already advanced in drafting the Action Plan for the Grow Employment of Youth, a plan that addresses the objectives for increasing youth employment. This plan has a cross-sectorial character and for the drafting of this plan an inter-ministerial group has been engaged, consisting of ministries related to employment, education and training, and strongly believe that by the end of the year it will be approved in the government.
Youth employment is already an obligation of ours and paralel to the European agenda is laid up on the focuse also in the 2018-2020 Economic Reform Program and the Sector Strategy of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
Honorable participants
I would like to emphasize that besides the drafting of strategies and action plans, MLSW in the framework of the commitment to improve employment for young people together with partners, launches the internship program at work, considers it of particular importance as for the jobseekers and for the employers.
This program is intended to support newly graduated unemployed persons, is carried out in cooperation with private sector enterprises and is co-financed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Investment and Enterprise Support Agency in Kosova and by UNDP for which you we are very grateful.
The internship program aims to give the opportunity to unemployed jobseekers who have graduated within a period of 24 months to one of the higher education institutions to pursue a 3-month internship in private sector enterprises, in order to support the training of work practice or sustainable employment in Kosova. The program also focuses on identifying enterprises that have the potential to provide long-term employment opportunities.
In addition to supporting work practice, the Workplace Program in work facilitates the process of identifying and matching jobseekers’ skills with company requirements, given the difficulties faced by private companies in locating and engaging trained staff required for expanding their business activities.
In the internship program we are launching today, currently benefit about 200 newly graduated people, most of whom have just been systematized and some are in the process of settling in private enterprises and this has been done through engagement and mediation of employment offices .
Wishing you success I would like to emphasize that MLSW will continue with other programs in the framework of active labor market measures with the main aim of increasing employment and improving the well-being of all citizens who need support.
In this case I encourage the present employers as well as the jobseekers to join our programs and also recommend these programs to colleagues, friends and associates to visit employment offices in their municipality and the Centers of Vocational Training within their region, because only cooperation and interaction can lead us to our common path, in combating unemployment and empowering businesses.
Once again I wish all the beneficiaries of this program and I want to assure all young people that the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare in cooperation with local and international partners with dedication will engage all newly graduated young people, employment and employment practices are enabled.
Thank you