Article by RoNM

The Youth Guarantee is an active measure for the employment of young people that has been implemented in the countries of the European Union since 2012. The Republic of Macedonia is the only country in the region that is not a member of the European Union, and it is including “Youth Guarantee” as a measure to increase the employability of young people.

The Youth Guarantee measure enables young people up to the age of 29 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) to get a suitable job offer, continue their education or be involved in one of the active employment programs and measures, within a period of 4 months after their registration as unemployed persons in the Employment Agency.

Introduced as a pilot project in 2018 in the capital, Skopje and the municipalities of Gostivar and Strumica, the scheme has been a proven success, and in 2019 it is being implemented throughout the country, with a special focus on three regions, where the largest number of young people belonging to the NEET category is found.

One of the best measures in this programme is Support for self-employment that gives young people financial support for establishing their own business. The amount of financial support is from 5 to 10 thousand euros. Other measures included are: Paid training with employers, Online trainings, Advanced IT skills training, Paid internship, Payment of youth allowance and Subsidization of salaries.

Over 24 million young people in Europe who were once registered in Youth Guarantee schemes started an offer of employment, continued education, apprenticeships and traineeships.