On Wednesday, October 26 2021, a Mid-Term Conference on Youth Unemployment in the Western Balkans was held in Sarajevo. The conference was held within the Western Balkans Youth Lab Project and gathered chairmen and members of working groups from the region to present the current process, methods and successes, as well as plans for the future in solving youth unemployment in the region.
The conference brought together representatives of all six economies of the Western Balkans, and from Serbia was attended by Aleksandar Voštić, Head of the Youth Department at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Snežana Klašnja, Advisor to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Boško Latković, Independent Advisor – Ministry of Labor , employment, veterans’ and social affairs and Mina Dobrijević, KOMS Finance and Administration Coordinator. Together with Ms. Snežana Klašnja, Mina chaired the Working Group from Serbia and presented the results of the work of their Working Group.
At the conference, participants analyzed and identified shortcomings and opportunities for further improvement, research of specific good practices, updating policy recommendations, action plans and other activities. The most important message of the conference is the cooperation of youth and institutions, mapping problems, creating recommendations and solutions based on the principles of management and cooperation, as well as the commitment and attention of the whole region to Youth Guarantees, as a mechanism that can contribute to reducing youth unemployment.
The Western Balkans Youth Laboratory is a project supported by the European Union and the Regional Cooperation Council, which seeks to create a long-term structured regional dialogue between youth organizations and representatives of institutions focused on joint policy making that will increase youth participation in decision-making, improve overall socio-economic environment and youth mobility.