Bosnia and Herzegovina: BiH Youth Employability and Retention Programme

What We Do » Youth, Employment and Migration » BiH Youth Employability and Retention Programme
 
Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

JOINT PROGRAMME QUICK FACTS

Total Budget $6,000,000
Delivery Rate
Participating Agencies UNDP, IOM, UNFPA, UNICEF
Main Achievements
  • More than 5,000 youth served through 16 centres for information, counselling and training (CISO). 3,500 pupils received career counselling, more than 800 individual employment plans were drafted and more than 500 beneficiaries found jobs. It is expected that number of CISO beneficiaries at the end of 2012 will exceed 12,000. Capacity-building of beneficiaries and CISO employees ongoing.
  • 50 high school employment projects financed through which nearly 1,000 youth developed their entrepreneurial skills.
  • Four programmes established to address issues relating to temporary and circular labour migration. On-line survey conducted among BiH workers in diaspora to assess interest in returning to BiH job market. Results will form basis of a written “Guide to Return” as well as recommendations to decision-makers.
Contact Erol Mujanovic, JP Coordinator
erol.mujanovic@undp.org

The employment situation for young people in Bosnia Herzegovina is challenging. The country is still marked by the residual tensions of war and the transition economy is below potential. Although employment prospects are becoming more favourable, the large number of employed youth is both a challenge and an unutilised resource for development.

The consequences of not addressing the issue include youth apathy or alternatively potential social unrest. The Youth Employability and Retention Programme aims to address high youth unemployment: the project will work closely with Government, the private sector and civil society to improve the employability of BiH youth while providing new entry points to the labour market. Internal and external migration support will be developed to optimise the potential of migration as an individual employment-seeking strategy which can alleviate local labour market pressures. Attention to gender and minority issues is integral to the project.

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