Ambitious state plan: Job or education for all young people

The implementation of the state Plan "Guarantee for young people" will ensure that all persons aged 15 to 29 find a job or continue their education within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education.

That Plan, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare replied to the "News", should be adopted by the end of June, and it will first be tested in three pilot municipalities in Montenegro. They will be selected according to the criteria and guidelines of the International Labor Organization, and will be implemented in the period from 2025 to 2026.

Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Naida Nišić announced in February that the interdepartmental working group is working on the implementation of the "Youth Guarantee". She then emphasized that, thanks to her, young people will be further encouraged to be engaged in work.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare said that the main goal is to propose systemic measures and reforms that will be in accordance with the legally defined framework of the European Union (EU).

"The Interdepartmental Working Group, with the technical support of the International Labor Organization, created a draft implementation plan that was sent to the European Commission for comments, and after receiving comments from the European Commission with recommendations and inputs, work continued on revising and improving the Implementation Plan for the 'Youth Guarantee' program." they said from that department.

According to them, the institutions responsible for the direct implementation of the program are, in addition to the competent department that coordinates the entire process, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MPNI), the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Employment Agency. In addition to those departments, they say to "Vijesta", non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that "deal with the situation of young people in Montenegro" are included.

They explained that the Plan will contain reform measures and initiatives "that need to be implemented in the next medium-term period".

"Young people who are not in the education or employment system (NEET) are high on the EU agenda, so following the European employment policies, Montenegro also recognized the interest of young people to receive increased support from the state in order to more effectively join the labor market or improve their knowledge and skills also with the aim of better competitiveness on the labor market", said the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.

"Replacement for Professional Training Program"

President of the Network for Youth Activism (MOACG) David Vukicevic he pointed out that the "Guarantee for Youth" is a good support mechanism for "young people in the transition from the education process to the labor market".

Vukićević reminds us that it has produced significant results in EU member states, so the effects of unemployment, he claims, are lower.

"The Ministry responsible for the field of education has had a vision for years to implement the same initiative in our country, however, according to unofficial information I have, the implementation plan has not yet been adopted. It is extremely important that, as a society that wants to become a full member of the EU, we develop market competition and strengthen the position of young people, in order to offer the new generation the opportunity to lead a dignified life, and it is up to young people to give opportunities and use them with diligence and competence", he said. is Vukićević.

He told "Vijesta" that the "Youth Guarantee" was conceived as a kind of replacement for the existing professional training program.

"In the past decade, the professional training program, despite numerous abuses by users and employers, still gave healing results, especially in the part of strengthening the economic and professional position of young people. The program, whose costs are not negligible, is financed from the state budget, which is not a practice in developed democratic societies characterized by a free market. However, I am of the opinion that the sustainability of this kind of support for young people is only meaningful and sustainable if the state finances the program in almost the entire amount", said Vukićević, adding that the Montenegrin economy is not at a "sufficient level of development to be able to apply European practice".

According to him, any program that provides young people with the opportunity to develop professionally and gain practical experience is good and useful for the development of the country.

"Youth activism is a great foundation for overcoming limits"

The unemployment rate, he believes, can be reduced by strengthening service activities.

"Tourism services create a third of the gross domestic product (GDP) of our country, which points to the necessary diversification of the Montenegrin economy in order to prevent vulnerability, especially the creation of new jobs in the energy, IT, and other sectors in which Montenegro has a competitive advantage." said Vukicevic.

He points out that young people can only be a powerful driving force if society is capable of carrying essential reform processes.

As Vukićević says, young people perceive youth activism as "a great basis for overcoming the limits and getting rid of the restraints imposed by society."

Their main goal is to improve the socioeconomic, cultural and sustainable aspects of young people's lives.

"Basic formal education is defined by law as mandatory, and it is up to young people to decide whether they will be satisfied with it. When choosing a profession, in my humble opinion, one should take into account two aspects: preferences, abilities and predispositions for a certain occupation or profession and the demand for labor in a certain field, that is, the possibility of employment and evaluation of work performance. However, without effort and work, there are no results", he says.

According to the research of the Network for Youth Activism of Montenegro from 2023, young people predominantly see the civil sector as the one that provides them with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge needed for today's labor market, while they say that formal education does not prepare them well enough for the same.

Vukićević told "Vijesti" that it would be logical for young people to participate more in informal education programs.

"...Which is often the choice of young people who think proactively and are ready to step out of their comfort zone. It's not like that. Form is more important to our society than substance, so we do not advocate enough as a community for additional effort, looking for facilities to ensure our own existence such as party, nepotistic and corrupt employment, often to the detriment of society and the state. And that on two grounds: through reducing the efficiency of the institutional system, and discouraging (in various ways through levies and the worse position of workers) employment in the real sector", concludes Vukićević.