Entering the adult world through finding employment for young people is the first and biggest step towards independence, economic security and building a future. This path is often marked by the main obstacle – the inability to find employment, which is a consequence of various social and economic factors. Although the youth unemployment rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2021 was 24% lower than in 2015, BiH still remains at the bottom of the youth employment ladder compared to countries in the region. Research indicates causes such as insufficient information and training of young people in accordance with market needs, their low mobility, the mismatch of the education system with modern trends, as well as problems such as the lack of jobs and the presence of corruption in the employment process itself. The causes have been identified, and the question arises: How to overcome them?
How to overcome obstacles to employment?
Although the situation is challenging, there are alternative solutions at the individual level. As early as 2004, the Federal Employment Agency (FZZZ) launched programs to co-finance the employment of vulnerable categories, including young people. Similar programs, such as the employment of trainees and support for hard-to-employ categories, received greater formalization and funding through specific projects and public calls during the 2000s and in the Republika Srpska. However, according to a 2022 study by the Institute for Youth Development KULT “Analysis of the Needs and Position of Youth in BiH”, only 28.8% of young people had heard of government employment programs, and only 3.9% of them were beneficiaries of one of such programs. Although this percentage is higher compared to 2015, the authorities face the challenge of better advertising and promoting such and similar programs, while young people need greater willingness to ultimately use government programs. However, it should be borne in mind that youth employment policies at all levels of government, including action plans and appropriate budgets for their implementation, are a key factor for long-term employability.
On the other hand, the mismatch between the education system and the labor market makes a significant number of young people uncompetitive, given that during education they acquire knowledge and skills that are often not applicable in the labor market. In this context, retraining and additional training represent one of the most important solutions. The education system should follow trends and adjust curricula accordingly so that the skills that young people acquire during formal education are useful in employment.
Through numerous analyses of the position and needs of young people, corruption has been recognized as a key problem in the employment process. A large number of young people have heard of cases of job-buying, although a much smaller number have witnessed it. However, the high presence of bribery and corruption, political recruitment and various forms of discrimination negatively affect the perception of the labor market, creating distrust and pessimism. Employers and institutions must recognize competencies as a key criterion in employment, and ensure a transparent process. In this sense, young people need to be informed and trained to fight for their labor rights, and be active in reporting all forms of discrimination in the workplace so that they can ultimately be sanctioned.
Given the lack of practical training, the lack of definition of student work, and poor coordination of institutions dealing with employment, the transition of young people from education to the labor market is marked by complicated processes that are unclear to young people who urgently need more specific guidance and assistance. In this field, it is necessary to develop the skills and knowledge of employment service staff on communication and work with young people, but also to strengthen the skills of young people in job search through training, counseling, guidance, and partnership with civil society organizations. Also, the European Union program, the Youth Guarantee, which provides young people with a quality offer for employment, continued education, learning through work, or internships, should facilitate the transition from education to the labor market. The Youth Guarantee is currently being piloted in the Zenica-Doboj and Herzegovina-Neretva Cantons, after which an action plan will be developed that will be the basis for the implementation of the program in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I want to start my own business, but…
Self-employment not only helps individuals who decide to take this step, but also opens up opportunities for creating new jobs and strengthening the country’s economy. However, the step of starting your own business is a complicated process even for experienced professionals due to bureaucratic procedures, which is especially problematic for young people. Even if bureaucracy were not an obstacle, young people lack educational, mentoring and financial support. At certain levels of government, there are already programs to encourage business start-ups, but they need to be further improved and an environment conducive to investment needs created. It is important to facilitate bureaucratic processes and provide young people with advisory, legal, accounting-administrative and similar support at the beginning of their business, but also in later years in order to maintain their businesses. Finally, it is also useful to improve the promotion of existing measures to support youth entrepreneurship, given that a high percentage of young people have a desire to start their own business.
Non-compliance, non-competitiveness, unemployment and other “no’s”
Although the employment process in BiH is marked by negative aspects, we cannot ignore the programs and initiatives that have existed and functioned for many years. However, in this context, there is a lot of room for progress that requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the problem of youth unemployment. Cooperation of all key actors – from the young people themselves, through the educational to the economic sector, and institutions of different levels of government, especially local ones, is crucial. The goal is to overcome obstacles such as disharmony, low competitiveness and high unemployment, and replace them with compliance, competitiveness and employment.
Therefore, we invite you to support changes for the better by applying your local government unit to the Public Call for submission of applications for the assessment of local government units and obtaining the certificate of youth-friendly communities in order to improve youth employment together.
Source: mladi.org
