E2E ACTIVITIES AND NEWS

Dear readers,

We are thrilled to share the latest developments in our Education to Employment (E2E) project. With immense pride, we announce the successful completion of Phase II, marked by tremendous achievements and impactful results for our beneficiaries. Our joint success is a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved.

As we celebrate this success, we are equally excited to continue with the final Phase III and continue our journey. This new chapter promises to introduce and embed a range of innovative products and services designed to further contribute to our mission to improve the position of women and men in the Serbian labour market. By enhancing the employment support services offering hands-on career guidance and counselling (CGC) services, modernizing employment policies, and developing skilled labour demanded by the private sector, we aim to create a robust and dynamic workforce in targeted regions.

In this edition of our newsletter, we will highlight the significant outcomes of Phase II, showcasing the transformative impact of our initiatives towards the different target groups and beneficiaries. Additionally, we will provide an overview of the upcoming activities and strategies that will drive Phase III forward, ensuring continued progress towards better employment opportunities and career development for all.

Stay tuned for detailed insights and join us in this exciting new phase as we continue to create pathways from education to employment.

Warm regards, E2E team

WBL (Work-Based Learning) Training Results

During Phase II, two public calls for employers were implemented:

The 1st public call in Phase II “Employees to fit your business” was finished in 2022, which resulted in 66 successfully implemented WBLs within 55 companies, supporting Serbia’s private sector. In total 586 trainees were trained, out of which 261 were females. After the successful training completion those companies employed 419 trainees, out of which 195 females. The E2E invested 61,7 million RSD, whereas companies contributed with 75.3 million RSD, while the local self-governments contributed with 2 million RSD. During 2022, the 5th municipality namely Svilajnac signed the E2E agreement and decided to allocate funds to support trainings in companies from their territory.

The 2nd public call in Phase II “Employees to fit your business – WBL Training Platform” was launched on 20th April 2022 and was open till December 2023. By the end of December 2023, 139 training programs were successfully implemented in 77 companies. In total, 663 trainees passed the WBL trainings (319 males and 344 females). After the completion of these WBL trainings, 472 trainees got hired by companies, including 255 females. The E2E invested 66.9 million RSD in all training programes, while companies contributed 105.6 million RSD. Additionally, recognizing the significance of work-based learning (WBL) for the local labor market, local self-governments contributed with 15.9 million RSD.

The majority of job positions required by the companies were from the metal-processing sector i.e. CNC operator, Welder and Locksmith, while the services sector was also highly represented. Aside of tourism and catering, there were additional IT trainings conducted (Junior Full Stack Developer, Digital Marketing Specialist, Junior Frontend Developer, Junior iOS/Android Developer, Junior UX/UI Designer and Blockchain Junior Developer). Traditionally automotive industry suppliers were also regular WBL participants with the highest number of trainees in their respective trainings.

CGC (Career Guidance and Counselling) activities and milestones in Phase II

Creating a Job info center network

The JOB INFO Centres (JIC) and their network consist currently of nine centers where trained career practitioners are providing diverse career guidance and counselling (CGC) services to schoolchildren, students and the unemployed. JICs are supporting those beneficiaries in the process of career development and career planning. JICs have established a brand and became recognized on the local level as a bridge between education and the world of work. Basically, JICs are locally connecting schools, individuals, and the private and civil sectors. JICs offer modern and quality career guidance and counselling services and are preparing young people and adults for successful career management and leading to faster employment. As proof of quality and dedication, five JOB INFO Centers received a public accreditation for recognized providers (JPOA) of CGC services from the Qualification Agency of the Republic of Serbia. Additionally, three more JICs are in the process of obtaining accreditation in 2024.

Achieved targets in Phase II from Jan 2020 to May 2024

25.730 young people and adults had a chance to benefit from CGC and received support in making informed career decisions in Phase II ?(13.562 female/12.168 male). Additionally, the activities of JOB INFO centers are successfully integrated in the annual plans of many elementary and secondary schools which lifted the cooperation with schools in all regions on a higher level. The CGC methodology and tools developed within the project showed great results and benefits for pupils and students. This is partially also the result of three big regional promotional CGC events organized in Ni?, ?abac and Kraljevo in 2023, with around 250 participants in all events. The aim was to present to teachers, school principals, and psychologists of elementary and secondary schools in different regions the importance of CGC, the benefits of JOB INFO service portfolio and to create new partnerships that will provide a better support network for young people in their career planning.

Improvement and further development of CGC tests and digitalized instruments

The JOB INFO centers continued to implement modern and innovative digitalized tools. The aim was to secure a multilevel objective assessment within career guidance and to provide support in career planning for young people through standardized psychometric tests. Furthermore, the E2E developed a new personal interest test and competence assessment, which allows job-seekers to see if their interests/ personality/ competencies are matching with the relevant labour market needs demanding by the private sector.

The multi-level assessment covers the following dimensions:

·?Interest and personality assessment:

?? IdentyFi test

?? WayFi test

·??Aptitude tests:

?? Basic Check cognitive test

?? Basic Check practical test

Trained CGC practitioners from JIC network are then offering counselling and information sessions which are following the assessments so to further help a person to match the self-image with the spotted opportunities on the job market/or to explore further educational opportunities.

VR Job experience

During Phase II, the E2E enriched the CGC practices with an innovative tool offered in JOB INFO centers namely VR glasses. The aim is to support young persons in acquiring info about specific occupations through creative and accessible ways, and to give a chance to simulate some working activities as part of the “virtual job shadowing”.

Policy level support in Phase II

At the national level, the key partner of the "Education to Employment – E2E" project is the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs (MoLEVSA). The E2E has supported MoLEVSA in implementing a series of activities aimed at promoting employment conditions in the Republic of Serbia:

• The Employment Strategy of the Republic of Serbia for the period from 2021 to 2026, along with both action plans for its implementation (for the periods 2021-2023 and 2024-2026), was prepared with the support of E2E. E2E ensured that these documents are based on evidence/data and analyses to provide an appropriate response to the real challenges faced by unemployed individuals seeking jobs, particularly those from hard-to-employ categories.

• As preparation for improving the legislative framework of employment policy, the E2E supported the development of ex-post and ex-ante analyses of the Law on Employment and Unemployment Insurance. These analyses provided clear guidelines on the direction in which the new legislative framework should develop, including the recommendation to expand the range of employment providers. This would leverage the capacities developed in previous periods by various organizations (e.g. civil society organizations, employment portals) that are not recognized as employment providers in the current law but have been supporting job seekers and employers.
• E2E provided strong support for the development of the National Standard Classification of Occupations in the Republic of Serbia through the creation of a Draft Methodology for the Development of Occupational Standards and the piloting of this methodology by developing proposals for a total of 33 occupations:

- From the manufacturing sector/metal processing industry: locksmith, machine locksmith, universal welder, welding technician, metal processing machine operator with numerical control/CNC operator;

- From the hospitality sector: bartender, head chef, cook, hotel receptionist, waiter;

- From the energy sector: machine/plant maintenance manager, electrical power engineer, power generation turbine operator, plant energy technician, specialist electrical plant technician, installation and network electrician, compressor station operator, steam boiler operator;

- From the ICT sector: database administrator, programmer, information system architecture specialist, business system analyst (IT), cloud computing engineer, information security specialist (IT), software testing specialist, user support assistant, software maintenance technician, backend programmer, frontend programmer;

- From the field of career guidance, counselling, and youth work: youth worker, employment counsellor, career counsellor, career guidance and counselling specialist.

The purpose of establishing occupational standards is to obtain complete and clear information about the tasks performed within an occupation, working conditions, required competencies for the job, tools and equipment used, typical locations where the occupation is performed, usual working hours, the existence of specific risks associated with the job, and other relevant information that make the occupation recognizable. This enables students, job seekers, and adults to change careers to make informed career choices and facilitates effective communication in the labour market between employers and job seekers.

• To strengthen local employment policies, the E2E conducted a study on the implementation of the Law on the Planning System at the local level, focusing on local employment policies. Based on the results, we aim to continue supporting local government units (LSGs) in planning local employment policies. At the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, three workshops were held to enhance the capacity of LSGs to analyse the local labour market, identify specific challenges, and plan appropriate measures to overcome them. Participants in these workshops also had access to expert support for developing their local employment planning documents.
• Additionally, the E2E conducted a study on the opportunities and limitations for joint planning of local policies with a focus on employment and career guidance and counselling. This will inform Phase III , where we will pilot joint planning based on the recommendations from the participating LSGs. If the pilot proves successful, LSGs across the Republic of Serbia will be able to apply these practices, significantly improving both the planning and implementation of local policies, ultimately benefiting local citizens and employers.

• We supported the National Employment Service (NES) in developing a new model for evaluating applications for self-employment subsidies. This model is based on scoring business plans that have not been previously evaluated or scored. The new evaluation method prioritizes the quality of the business idea, enabling support for promising businesses. To implement the new evaluation model, 130 NES have been trained.

The E2E, through cooperation and partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs (MoLEVSA) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), implements activities to improve employment and education policies with the aim of contributing to a more efficient transition and a more competitive performance of young people on the labour market, i.e. effective and sustainable connection of young people and the economy. Support is also provided to the institutions that implement these policies namely the National Employment Service, the Agency of Qualifications, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and schools.

• The preparation of the Methodological Guidelines for the development of training programs based on qualification standards and the Criteria for the evaluation of training programs, with the support of E2E, contributed to the further quality development of training programs within the accreditation process of Publicly Recognised Organisers of Adult Education (JPOA).
• As part of the E2E project, the Guide for Self-Evaluation of JPOA’s Work Quality and the Guide for External Evaluation of JPOA’s Work Quality were developed, and training sessions for representatives of institutions and JPOA on their implementation were conducted. The JPOA Self-Evaluation Training is also available on the Qualification Agency's Moodle platform.
• To further strengthen the accreditation process, E2E supported the organization of four National JPOA Dialogues in Ni?, ?abac, Novi Sad, and Vrnja?ka Banja.
• The E2E project provided significant support for the further development of the CGC system in the Republic of Serbia. Procedures and documentation for the accreditation of JPOA to provide CGC services with accompanying guidelines were developed, the competency profile of career practitioners was improved, and the career counsellor job standard was created. The training “Quality CGC Services – CGC Service Standards” is available on the Qualification Agency’s Moodle platform.
• In collaboration with the Council for Elevators within the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), the project supported the development of the qualification standard for Elevator Fitters, NQFS level 5.
• For the development of qualification standards in the ICT field, the project, in collaboration with the Qualification Agency, organized expert workshops and provided support.
• The E2E supported the further development of NQFS by creating the Methodological Framework for evaluating the impact/effects of the NQFS system.

Phase III in Nutshell - Enhancing Employment Opportunities in Serbia

The E2E project is set to embark on its final Phase III, spanning from May 1, 2024, to April 30, 2028. Phase III aims to create new or improved job opportunities for women, men, and vulnerable groups in Serbia through improved employment support services and industry-led training programs.

The E2E's vision is to provide decent job prospects and career paths for everyone in Serbia. The project's mission focuses on enhancing the position of women and men in the labour market by improving employment support services, offering comprehensive career guidance and counselling (CGC) services, modernizing employment policies, and developing a skilled workforce that meets the demands of the private sector.

At the local level, the E2E will make a significant effort to improve employment support services that enable companies to make objective and unbiased decisions when selecting a competent workforce, career guidance and counselling provision and the CGC ecosystem. By embedding its developed products and services into a diverse range of providers, such as the National Employment Service (NES), private employment agencies and schools, the E2E will be scaling and standardizing the JOB INFO Centres concept across more regions. These JOB INFO centres co-financed and integrated into local communities, will serve as vital links between job seekers and the workforce needs of companies. Additionally, the private sector will be contributing by offering practical, industry-led training solutions, which will be further enhanced through training advisory services and co-financed by local and national funds.

On a national scale, the E2E employs an evidence-based bottom-up feedback mechanism to ensure that relevant local innovations are mainstreamed, implemented, and funded through national employment frameworks. This comprehensive effort includes supporting revisions of the Law on Employment and improving the CGC legislative ecosystem, unlocking funding and providing access to civil society organizations (CSOs).

• The expected outcomes of Phase III are multi-faceted. Firstly, a greater number of women and men will benefit from enhanced CGC, employment support services, and training solutions. Secondly, companies will improve their training offers and HR practices by utilizing employment support and advisory services. Lastly, sub-national and national policymakers and implementers will work towards creating a more supportive institutional and policy environment for employability and employment.
• The initiatives undertaken in Phase III will benefit a broad spectrum of the society, including women, men, vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and the Roma community, job seekers, and companies. The target groups involved are diverse, ranging from the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs (MoLEVSA) to private companies and employment agencies.
• As E2E embarks on this next phase, the project's commitment to driving progress and creating better employment opportunities for all remains unwavering. This new phase promises to make significant contributions to Serbia’s labour market, fostering an environment where everyone can benefit from improved job prospects and career paths. Stay tuned for more updates as E2E continues to advance its mission and vision in the coming years.