EVIDENCE BASED POLICY MAKING

SERBIA, BACKGROUND NOTE Turin, 23-25 November 2011

Vocational education and training

• The reform of VET from 2001• The goal is: gives opportunities for young people and

adults to gain skills, knowledge, and attitudes (work competencies) needed for work and employment, further education and learning

• The evidence of that are the first achievements of the reform process improving the quality of education and training

The evidences of VET – key indicators

• COVERAGE:– According to the 2009/2010 school year data, the share of

vocational high school students is around 74% (gymnasiums 24%, art schools around 2%).

– The most represented area of work is Economics, Law and Administration with 13.24%, followed by Machine Engineering with 10.46%, Electrical Engineering with 9.88%, Commerce, Catering and Tourism with 9.35%, and Medicine with 8.20% (these 5 areas of work enroll more than a half of primary school graduates who choose vocational education)

• QUALITY: Some of the elements needed for quality monitoring and achievement in the VET system have already been achieved or are being established – (school developmental planning, internal evaluation, working

standards for teachers and institutions, employers’ participation in the creation of qualifications standards, curriculum development and exams, partially external final exam and graduation in experimental classes, etc) but

• There are no precise data on early school leaving in VET schools- 7,3% or 30% or 10%

• Due to non-existence of a unique information system in education, there is no systematic monitoring of the individual in the system, and therefore the given data have to be taken with reserve or appropriate researches have to be undertaken in order to define the actual state

cont.

cont.

• EFFECTIVENESS – In 2010, 36,127 students who graduated from a three-year or four-year VET school enrolled in higher education institutions, which makes up around 63% of the total high school graduates’ population.

• According to the NES statistics (data from April 2011), the number of individuals who seek employment for the first time and who have graduated from a three-year VET school, is 61,901. The most represented areas of work are:– (1) Machine engineering and metalworking 17,760– (2) Commerce, catering and tourism 12,541– (3) Textiles and leatherwork 8,027– (4) Electrical engineering 6,146– (5) Agriculture, food production and processing 5,509

• 68,208 individuals who have graduated from a four-year VET school seeke employment for the first time. The most represented areas of work are:– (1) Economics, law and administration 10,953– (2) Machine engineering and metalworking 8,499– (3) Agriculture, food production and processing 7,247– (4) Commerce, catering and tourism 4,342– (5) Electrical engineering 6,108

• FLEXIBILITY – There are no precise collective data – on the number of persons with an employment contract

who change or acquire another qualification through different forms of further education in VET schools,

– data on the number of persons who have lost the status of a regular student or

– have left school prematurely and continue as irregular students.

• Less interests for some qualifications (masons, welders)

• Admission policy is not coordinated with labor market evidence (unemployment evidence)

Additional education and training

• The Law on Employment and Unemployment Insurance

• The aim is: offering an unemployed person or an employed person whose services are no longer required by the employer, and to whom adequate employment cannot be offered, the possibility to undergo theoretical and practical training to gain new skills and knowledge in order to find employment, thus creating possibilities for employment and self-employment.

• National Employment Service (NES)

cont.

• In accordance with the guidelines and objectives that are laid down with employment action plans and programs of NES, defined as annual measures of further education and training including: functional adult education, interns and volunteers, short trainings and training for the labor market or a specific employer, etc.

cont.

• In 2009/2010 programs of additional education and training have focused in the implementation of two programs: – a program of vocational training and youth employment

"First Chance" and – training programs for the labor market and specific

employer• Professional practice (training people for

independent work in the profession, without employment)

Overview of persons included in active employment policy measures in 2010 in the period January-September 2011

Measure

2010 2011

Number of persons included in the

measureEffects on employment

Number of persons planed to be included in the measure

Number of

persons included

in the measure

in the period

January-

September

Additional education and training programs: 21.872 8.024 19.000 17.412

Interns 17.175 7.016 * 10.000 8.981

Professional practice program / / 5.000 5.116

Trainings 4.697 1.008 ** 4.000 3.315

   

  ** Number of persons who completed training and entered into employment with the same employer  

* Employed as interns for a definite time period

Source: National Employment Service

Trends in main labour market indicators in the Republic of Serbia

15-64 age group October2009

April2010 October

2010

April2011

Activity rate 60.5% 59.1%

58.8%

58.9%

Employment rate 50.0%47.2%

47.1%45.5%

Unemployment rate 17.4%20.1%

20.0%22.9%

Inactivity rate 39.5% 40.9%

41.2%

41.1%

                Source: LFS, Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia

Unemployed Persons according to the National Employment Service

• In October 2011, 737,870 persons were registered in the register of the National Employment Service, of which 387,611 or 52.5% were women. Compared to October 2010 (717,503 persons), the number of unemployed persons increased by 20,000 persons or by 2, 8%.

• Unemployed persons who are included in measure of further education and training are observed throughout the duration of measure and 6 months after the compilation of the measure upon which effects of the measure are recorded. In that sense the effect of the measure are unemployed persons who entered employment during the measure or six months after the compilation of the measure.

Age structure of unemployed persons

Age April2009. October 2009. April 2010. October 2010. April 2011.

15-24 20,0% 20,9% 19,6% 19,8% 18,7%

25-34 29,5% 27,5% 29,6% 30,3% 28,2%

35-44 19,7% 21,8% 21,3% 19,1% 20,8%

45-54 21,3% 20,9% 20,5% 20,7% 21,7%

55-64 9,1% 9,0% 8,9% 9,9% 10,4%

65 and more 0,4% 0,1% 0,1% 0,1% 0,2%

Source: LFS, Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia

• According to age, less than half of the unemployed (47.5%) are persons belonging to the two youngest age groups (15-24, 25-34), whose share in total unemployment (15 +) in April 2011. totaled 18.7% and 28.2%.The trend of reduction of the youngest category of the unemployed in total unemployment is continuing, which can be partially explained by their extended education in terms of reduced employment opportunities and increase participation of those in medium (45-54) and older age (55-64).

Youth unemployment, 15-24 years

Age 15-24 April 2009.October

2009.April 2010. October 2010. April 2011.

Rate of activity 28,3% 29,5% 28,2% 28,2% 28,1%

Rate of employment 16,8% 17,0% 15,1% 15,2% 14,1%

Rate of unemployment 40,7% 42,5% 46,4% 46,1% 49,9%

Rate of inactivity 71,7% 70,5% 71,8% 71,8% 71,9%

Sources LFS, Republica Statistical Office

• Unemployment of young people aged 15-24 in the Republic of Serbia is very strong and substantially above the general rate of unemployment (49.9% compared to 22.2%).

• The youth unemployment rate in April 2011 was increased by 3.8 percentage points compared to October 2010 year (46.1%).

• This means that young people, after finishing school, including the labor market and become active in seeking employment. On the other hand, the employment rate of young people decreased by 1.1 and the activity rate by 0.1 percentage point in April 2011 compared to October 2010 year

• Active labour market measures, including further education and training, are organized for unemployed persons that are registered at NES Registry especially those who belong to the hard-to-employ category (youth, elderly, persons with disabilities, women, long-term unemployed...).

For more information:

Education www.mpn.gov.rs

Employment:www.merr.gov.rswww.nsz.gov.rs