The Minister of Sports and Youth, Dragoslav Šćekić, met with the permanent representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Montenegro, Ekaterina Paniklova, and at the meeting, concrete steps were defined to improve support for young people facing the challenges of digital transformation, employment and mental health.
Šćekić and Paniklova expressed their commitment to the implementation of these initiatives, emphasizing the importance of creating sustainable opportunities for the development of young people in Montenegro, the ministry announced.
It was established that young people in Montenegro are going through complex transition processes.
"In addition to challenges such as employment and spending quality free time, young people today face adaptation to the digital society and mental health issues. Research shows that more than a fifth of young people feel low motivation and listlessness, while as many as 93,9 percent use social networks as their primary source of information," Šćekić said.
During the meeting, employment opportunities were discussed as a challenge, since research shows that young people prefer working in the public sector, especially women and the NEET population (youth who are not employed, nor in the process of education or training), and that half of young people believe that their rights and freedoms are not sufficiently protected.
Šćekić and Paniklova agree that young people in Montenegro represent a key potential for the country's development.
"Considering that young people make up an important part of the population of Montenegro, it is crucial to empower them to lead society through future challenges and to shape the future of Montenegro. Our partnership with the Ministry of Sports and Youth is aimed at solving key issues such as digital adaptation and employment opportunities, in order to create sustainable opportunities that will enable young people from Montenegro to show their potential," said Panikova.
"The Ministry of Sports and Youth, in cooperation with UNDP, emphasizes long-term strategies that will enable young people to be supported during the transition to adulthood. The European Commission, in its Report for 2024, particularly emphasized the importance of the Youth Strategy 2023-2027 and revising of the Youth Act, which will further strengthen the resources intended for youth," the announcement reads.
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