Balkan Children & Youth foundation

The Social Youth Entrepreneurship Program

OPEN DIALOGUE ON SOCIAL INCLUSION THROUGH YOUTN EMPLOYMENT AND YOUTH LABOUR RIGHTS IN MACEDONIA

Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) is a key concern for Europe: it stands at 17.4%. This constitutes a waste of human capital. Over the last 25 years, no real breakthrough has been achieved in reducing it despite a general rise in educational attainment. In the current economic upswing with an estimated 7 million more persons moving into employment during the 2005-2008 Lisbon cycle, labour market performance continues to develop less favourably for young people.

Young people need appropriate employment opportunities, but having had little or no way to show their capabilities, they suffer heavily from not being taken into jobs. They are particularly affected by the dualism of the labor market. They can be trapped in jobs with poor conditions or prospects: according to some EU data sources, for instance 4 in 10 are currently in temporary employment; around a quarter works part time and even more have low paid jobs.
Situation is even worse in EU pre-accession countries such as Macedonia. Youth, and in particular youth women, unemployment in Macedonia is one of the highest in the Balkans. According to the 2003 data, about 30% of the unemployed were young people aged 15 – 24. In addition, in 2001, only 32% of Macedonian women of active working age were employed, comparing to the 51% average in the EU. About 60% of young people were looking for work without a job for at least four years. In relation to employment, male participation at the job market is just about 73% while female participation is about 49% and is slightly rising.

This partnership between the Balkan Children and Youth Foundation,Federation of the Trade Unions of Macedonia and University of Ljubljana is supported by European Commission’s DG for Employment, Social Affairs & Equal Opportunities, aims to promote and enhance tri-lateral communication between different sectors. A holistic approach in dealing with these issues is crucial and the project seeks to bring both the challenges and the people forward, thus creating adequate formats and tools for joint work and cooperation.

This kind of partnership will create a favourable climate for open dialogue, between various sectors in Macedonia, on the topics such as social inclusion, poverty, labour rights of young people and employability in general.
Through the project “Open Dialogue on social inclusion through youth employment and labor youth rights in Macedonia”, BCYF, projected with developed strategy on activities to influence on existing situation and knowledge through specific objectives:

To invite all relevant stakeholders in Republic of Macedonia for the dialogue on social inclusion and cohesion, youth labor issues and economic empowerment
To establish sharing of the know-how with partners and experts from Slovenia thus adding a clear European dimension to the project
To organize various public event – debates, forums, panels, conferences and mobilize relevant stakeholders for the process and dialogue
To support and promote the establishment of the trade union youth group (organisation) in Macedonia
То build network capacities of trade unions and young people by organizing seminars, conferences and forums
To organize 2 learning exchanges with Slovenian partners for the trade union representatives and young people working actively on youth employment and economic issues
To promote Open Method of Coordination by involving various actors in the society into the debate – government (both local and national), business sector, NGOs and Trade Unions
To raise general awareness for the overarching impact and importance of the social inclusion, cohesion and its impact on the general economy in the country

The partners will put big attention during the implementation of the activities and will try all the activities to be covered by media. As important stakeholders and decision makers will be present on every event and will take place in the main discussions, they will be creators on the changes that should be happened when the project will be over. The partners will work on promotion of the project with info leaflets for every event and will be distributed to everyone, by giving a chance to youngsters to come and to express their attitudes for the advantages or disadvantages on the labor market.

European dimension of this project is in the fact that Republic of Macedonia as pre-accession EU country needs to go through the process of dialogue, coordination and debate on various issues, and decision makers in the country are aware of that need. An added value to the project is the fact that Slovenian partners will be involved and will contribute with their knowledge, expertise and experience to the whole process. Slovenia is both a EU member, having EU experience and know-how, but it is also a county which shares part of the history and common values with Republic of Macedonia and the experience coming from there will be very relevant to Republic of Macedonia. What is also very important, Slovenia has very well developed and functional trade unions and youth active there, and this experience can be well replicated in Macedonia.

In the period 2009-2011, BCYF and its partners intend to improve the society’s awareness through the project’s activities:

Public panels-debates

Social inclusion and poverty
Social inclusion and youth employment
Economy and brain-drain
Social and economic entrepreneurship of youth
Decent work
Gender and employment

Seminars

Role of trade unions in poverty reduction
Social inclusion and minority youth
Inclusion of youth into labour market
Decent work
Disability and inclusion
Gender and Employment

Round tables

Labour rights and youth workers
Economic empowerment of young people

Study visits

Two study visits will be organized for the Macdonian partner in Slovenia. The visits will be directed to young people from trade unions in Macedonia, experts and practioners from the field of social inclusion, economic development and youth labour. They will be given the opportunity to visit relevant academic, governmental and non-governmental bodies dealing with these issues and get new ideas and knowledge that could be transferred back home.

Pubications

The partners will work on publishing:

A Tool-Kit collection of best practices in the field, tips and ideas on how to deal with related issues and ideas for activities and
A Research Book that will contain a more academic and inquiring overview on the issues of employability, poverty, social inclusion/exclusion etc. Authors of these publications will be experts from Macedonia, Slovenia as well as counterparts from the EU, other European Institutions and the region of SE Europe.

This project is funded by:

DG EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES