Nezavisne novine: More than a half of youth in BiH is unemployed, which is almost four times more than the average rate of unemployment of youth in the EU, has been shown by data of the Office of the Residential Coordinators of the UN in BiH.
They warn from this office that young people between the age of 18 and 35 are the most numbered unemployed population in BiH. In order to overcome this problem, regarding the International Youth Day, which has been marked yesterday, the UN team in BiH has announced the realization of program of hiring and keeping youth in BiH. The program will be financed by the Kingdom of Spain, through the Fund for achieving the Millennium developmental goals (with 5.9 million American dollars).
"The total of 58.5% of youth in BiH is unemployed. 7% of youth is unemployed in the EU, while the rate of unemployment in BiH is almost three times or 21.5% bigger", has been said in the Office of the Residential Coordinator of the UN in BiH. They explain that the educational system does not offer adequate preparation to young people, or skills for work.
"Majority of youth finishes professional high schools and often specializes in professions for which there is no much demand. The problem also relates to the informal sector, because each fifth employed young person does not have a contract signed with the employer", has been said in the Office of the Residential Coordinator of the UN in BiH, and added that the hiring program in BiH will be realized in the next three years, through five agencies of the UN team in BiH.
"In order for realization of this program to start, it is necessary that it gets approved by the Council of Ministers of BiH. It has been accepted by the entity governments. Funds are at our disposal, but they cannot be operational without the signature of the Council of Ministers. Besides the UN agencies in BiH, representatives of BiH governments will also participate in this program", has been said in this office.
Adi Džamalija, chairman of the Student parliament of the University in Sarajevo, thinks that the lack of practical classes and disharmony of needs of labor market with the number of free spots at faculties, are the problems which have caused a huge number of unemployed young people.
"Two months ago I have received a report from the Employment agency of the canton Sarajevo. The biggest numbers of unemployed, around 400 of them have been lawyers. The need for lawyers and economists at labor market is minimal, while faculties never limit the number of students", Džamalija has said.
He has added that there is no practical class at any faculty of the University in Sarajevo, except for the Faculty for traffic and communications.
The Commission for youth issues management at the Council of Ministers of BiH, in the study which has been done last year, has concluded that the unemployment and education are the biggest problems of youth in BiH.
Members of this commission have during the research come to the data that the educational system does not produce sufficiently good staff for needs of labor market, and that only ¼ of registered students finish studies.
Lučiano Kaluža, chairman of the Youth Council of the RS, has said that this organization requests all the institutions a more effective combat against "the slave-owner behavior towards the employees in companies", especially towards young people, and a full inclusion of youth in the processes of making decisions at all, especially at local levels.
Among the requests there is also a free education for all young people in the RS and in BiH, as well as health insurance, and a special credit line with minimum interest rate for youth.
"We request from the institutions of BiH for a more effective engagement in fulfilling the conditions for sooner abolishment of visa regime for young people in the RS and BiH, and to support the projects and ideas of youth and financing those", Kaluža has said.
He has said that by the majority of young people there is a fully defected system of values, where the work, dedication, knowledge, honesty and tendency for social equality are not being appreciated, while hypocrisy and lies are a "phenomena" of getting rich in a quick way.
The long-term goal of the Ministry for family, youth and sport of the RS is to improve the status of youth in Srpska and create better conditions for functioning of youth work and activities, has been said by Dragan Kuprešanin, mayor of the Department for youth in this ministry.
"We have levied a contest for financing the projects of youth organizations and have realized the project 'Youth in process of the EU integrations' with the goal of introducing youth in BiH with the European processes and assistance for youth in local communities", Kuprešanin has said. According to him, the ministry has proposed to the Government a draft of youth policy, which will be realized from 2010 to 2015, while holding a free course of English language has also been continued.