Slovak NGO Hold Roundtable Focused On Employment Issues Facing Serbian Youth

June 10, 2008

A roundtable discussion on the topic of employment prospects for Serbian youth was held at Nis University in central Serbia on June 10, 2008 and attended by dozens of representatives from businesses, NGOs and youth organizations. The goal of the event, which was organized by the Pontis Foundation and Citizens Pact for Southeast Europe for the Embassy-supported project to strengthen regional government and grassroots democracy in Serbia,  was to foster an exchange of experiences from the EU integration process while presenting the experience of youth seeking employment and their integration into the wider community. The discussion focused on problems faced by Serbian youth in the job market, especially a lack of vocational education and practical work experience, and possible solutions to those problems. Among the speakers at the roundtable was Mr. Pavol Varga, a talent acquisition manager for Dell in Bratislava who outlined the employment criteria used by his headquarters and noted that Slovak universities, like their Serbian counterparts, are also not ready to adequately prepare students for future employment. As a result of the day’s discussion, participants agreed to request administrators at several area universities to increase opportunities for youth empowerment by boosting their support of students in vocational studies and initiating direct cooperation, such as internships, with companies.