Serbia
Strategies for youth employment
- Strategies for youth employment
- Yes
Youth employment strategy planned in the next 2 years
- Discussions within the government
- No
- Consultations with national-level stakeholders (e.g. employers’ and workers’ associations, youth councils, etc.)
- No
- A draft strategy already exists
- No
- Other (please specify)
- No
Countries with national action plans for youth employment
- Monitoring framework (timeline and activity/outcome indicators, e.g. youth labour market indicators)
- Yes
- Funding (indicative budget to implement the plan)
- Yes
- Institutional responsibilities (e.g. ministries/agencies in charge of specific planned activities )
- Yes
- Other, specify
- No
Public funding for the national youth employment strategy
- Public funding for the national youth employment strategy
- Yes
Additional information:
Ministry in FinanceYouth in the national development / employment strategy
- Youth in the national development / employment strategy
- Yes
Additional information:
Youth are a key target group in Serbia’s employment and social inclusion policies. In December 2023, the Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan, marking a significant step toward a more coordinated and strategic approach to tackling youth unemployment. The Youth Guarantee is a comprehensive program designed to ensure that all young people up to the age of 30 receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education, training, or a traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed or completing/withdrawing from formal education. This initiative relies on strong intersectoral cooperation, involving key stakeholders such as public institutions, education providers, employers, and social partners. The goal is to improve school-to-work transitions, reduce the duration of youth unemployment, and foster long-term integration of young people into the labour market.Countries with national goals for youth employment
- Countries with national goals for youth employment
- Yes
Additional information:
Measure 2.5 of the Employment Strategy of the Republic of Serbia 2021–2026, as well as the accompanying Action Plan for 2024–2026, is dedicated to the 'Improvement of the labour market position of youth.' This objective aims to support the integration of young people into the labour market through targeted measures that enhance employability, improve access to quality job opportunities, and facilitate smoother school-to-work transitions. Implementation involves coordinated efforts across education, training, and employment sectors, in line with the broader goals of reducing youth unemployment and increasing youth participation in sustainable and decent work.Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment
- Countries with quantitative targets for youth employment
- Yes
Additional information:
The quantitative targets to promote youth employment at the national level are based on youth from 15 to 29 years old. • Increase the employment rate from 36.9% in 2019 to 42.8% by 2026. • Reduce the unemployment rate from 21.5% in 2019 to 15.2% by 2026. • Reduce the NEET rate (youth not in employment, education or training) from 18.9% in 2019 to 12.7% by 2026. • Increase the share of unemployed youth participating in active employment policy measures from 18.8% in 2022 to 20% by 2026. • Increase the effect of financial measures on youth employment from 49% in 2021 to 53% by 2026. • Youth Guarantee programme piloted by 2026Policy areas in national youth employment strategies
- Macroeconomic and Sectoral policies
- Yes
- Enterprise Development
- Yes
- Education, Training and skills development
- Yes
- Labour Demand
- Yes
- Labour Law and Legislation
- Yes
- Labour Market Policies
- Yes
- Other (please specify)
- No
Social partners' inclusion in the youth employment strategy
- Workers
- Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
- Consulted
- Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
- Fully involved
- Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Employers
- Implementation of youth employment strategies/programmes (e.g. social partners as official implementers of the strategy or programme)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Assessment of youth employability (alignment of youth qualifications and skills to labour market needs)
- Consulted
- Monitoring and evaluation of youth employment interventions (e.g. active labour market programmes)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Awareness raising, marketing and promotion of youth employment (e.g. campaign to promote youth employment)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Formulation of youth employment strategies (e.g. national action plan for youth)
- Fully involved
- Development of youth employment programmes (e.g. sectoral programme with a clear target to employ X number of youth)
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
Youth-led organizatios' inclusion in the national strategy
- Fully involved
- No
- Partially involved (only for some elements of the strategy)
- Yes
- Consulted
- No
- Informed
- No
- Not involved
- No
Countries with national partnerships for youth employment
- Countries with national partnerships for youth employment
- Yes
Additional information:
2024 National Employment Strategy 2021–2026 and the Action Plan 2021–2023 were prepared by a working group in which, among others, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, representatives of social partners - the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia, Trade Union Confederation “Nezavisnost”, Union of Employers of Serbia, representatives of the Standing Conference of Cities and Municipalities, etc. --- 2023: Employment Strategy of the Republic of Serbia 2021-2026 and Action Plan 2021–2023 for the Implementation of the Employment Strategy of the Republic of Serbia 2021–2026 were prepared by the Working Group that includes, among others, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, representatives of social partners - Serbian Association of Employers, Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia and Trade Union Confederation “Nezavisnost”, representatives of Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities etc _____ 2022 survey: The Working Group for the development of Employment Strategy 2021-2026 and Action Plan 2021-2023 was consisted of the representatives of various institutions: MoLEVSA, MoE, MoESTD, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government,MEI, MF, MoYS, NES, Public Policy Secretariat, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, Development Agency of Serbia, social partners, Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), ILO, Belgrade Open School and the Centre for Youth Work. Additional activities are implemented by MoYS (cooperation with Youth Offices) and MoESTD (cooperation with Chamber of Commerce regarding dual education). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2020 survey: Some of the key partnerships include: -National Employment Action Plan is prepared by the Working Group that includes, among others, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, representatives of social partners - Serbian Association of Employers, Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia and Trade Union Confederation “Nezavisnost”, representatives of Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities. -Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia also provided support for the Employers needs survey conducted by National Employment Service. -Ministry of Youth and Sport has an internal unit for the cooperation with Youth Offices and Associations. -Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development is cooperating with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia in the implementation of Law on Dual Education.Inclusiveness of vulnerable groups in national strategies
- Women
- Yes
- Migrant Workers
- No
- NEETs
- Yes
- People with disabilities
- Yes
- Low skilled workers
- Yes
- Rural workers
- No
- Other (please specify)
- No
Youth employment strategies and international cooperation
- Youth employment strategies and international cooperation
- Yes
Additional information:
2024 (ILO) - ILO preparation of documents: Mapping of NEET youth in Serbia; Guidelines - Preparation of plans for the implementation of the Youth Guarantee. Government of the Swiss Confederation/SDC - E2E project "Knowledge to Work": Support in the development of the Employment Strategy and the accompanying AP; an evaluation of active employment policy measures was prepared; support for the drafting of the Law on Labor Practice, support for the development of the National Standard Classification of Occupations, etc. (GIZ) German Agency for International Cooperation - Project DECIDE --- 2023: ILO - prepared documents: Mapping young NEETs in Serbia ; Guidelines -Preparation of Youth Guarantee Implementation Plans RCC- Youth lab project, ESAP2 project Government of the Swiss Confederation/SDC- E2E project "Education to employment" German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)- DECIDE project "Dialogue on Employment Creation, Initiative and Dual Education" European Union IPA 19/20 Technical Assistance project envisages the preparation of the basis and framework for piloting the Youth Guarantee, which will be further implemented through the NES Direct Grant. ________ 2022 survey: ILO - Technical support in preparation of Implementation Plan for Youth Garamtee EC/RCC - WB Youth Laboratory GIZ - DECIDE GIZ - Inclusion of Roma and other margibalized groups in Serbia IPA 2020 - piloting Youth Garantee SDC - Education for Employment ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2020 survey: Some of the support received in Serbia includes: Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs has, in cooperation with ILO organized two-day workshop “Response to the challenges of NEET in Serbia”, 16-17 April 2019. Previously, representative of the Ministry took part in the training course on the subject of NEETs in Torino. European Union IPA 2014 - Grant Scheme “Development of innovative, integrated youth tailored services and active inclusion models” “Technical Assistance to Support Social Inclusion of Youth through Innovative, Integrated and Tailored Services” Government of the Swiss Confederation/SDC “Support to the Implementation of the Employment and Social Reform Programme in Serbia Focusing on the Youth Employment and Employability Policies” German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) “Youth Employment Promotion”