22 - 24 October 2009, Brdo (Slovenia)

Experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, UMNIK Kosovo representing youth research, youth and labour policy and practical youth work met to exchange information about the youth employment situation throughout the region and related youth policy developments, and to share good practice and strengthen links and networks between stakeholders at national and international levels. This event, jointly organised from 22 to 24 October 2009 with SALTO Youth South-East Europe Resource Centre and the Ministry of Education and Sport of Slovenia, took place in Brdo, Slovenia, within the framework of the Slovenian Chairmanship of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers.

Concept paper     Report

Thursday, 22 October

09.30 :  Plenary Opening,

• Mr. Zorko Škvor, Undersecretary, Ministry of Education and Sport - Office for Youth of Republic of Slovenia
• Welcome words on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Sport - Office for Youth of Republic of Slovenia, Director, Mr. Peter Debeljak
• Importance of youth employment, Mr. Ulrich Bunjes, Deputy Director, Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe
• Introduction to the seminar context, aims, objectives and programme Presentations of the preparatory team and participants

11.15 : Social context of employment of young people in the region, Dr. Metka Kuhar, Faculty for Social Science, University of Ljubljana

Questions and discussion

12:00 : Measures and Programmes for better employability of youth, Ms. Mateja Sedej, Undersecretary, Head of Sector for Long Life Learning, Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs of Slovenia

14.30 :  Working groups: researchers, policy makers and practitioners - Sharing about youth employment realities in the countries of South East Europe

17.00 :  Sharing about youth employment realities in the SEE countries, continued

Friday, 23 October

09.30 : Plenary, Presentation of good practices in promoting youth employment and employability

• Non-formal recording booklet and portfolio, Alenka Blazinšek, Mladinski ceh
• Project Learning for Young Adults - PLYA. Ministry Slovenia
• UNDP :  Active Labour Market Programme for Youth - Presentation of activities - 2005 -2009
• Youth employment and unemployment in Romania. Some answers to the questions
• Youth Policy and Youth Employment in Serbia. Zora Krnjaic, Special Advisor to the Minister. Ministry of Youth and Sport. Republic of Serbia
• "Youth (Un)employment in Bosnia and Herzegovina". Labor and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Youth Information Agency (OIA). Bosnia-Herzegovina. Jan Zlatan Kulenović, MA Executive Director
• Youth in Action 2007-2013 Cooperation with Neighbouring Partner. Activities of the Youth in Actions Programme of the European Commission and SALTO Resource Centre SEE, Ms Sonja Mitter
• B&H Youth in process of EU integration : Policies employment youth in B&H
• Examples of good practices programs for young people. Employment Agency of Montenegro. Branka Racković
• Analyse of youth position in BiH (in Bosnian only)

14.30 :  Elaborating initiatives for enhancing youth employment and employability in SEE

Saturday, 24 October

09.00 : Elaborating initiatives for enhancing youth employment and employability in SEE, continued

11.00 : Presentations of conclusions and outcomes of planning the initiatives

• Taurus 2010 :  The role of NGO's in the process of youth employability
• How to bring together relevant stakeholders for youth education and employment

 12:00 : Concluding session

• Mr. Hanjo Schild, Head of Unit, Partnership between the Council of Europe and the European Commission in the field of Youth, Strasbourg
• Ms. Sonja Mitter, Coordinator, SALTO Resource Centre South-East Europe, Ljubljana
• Mr. Zorko Škvor, Ministry of Education and Sport - Office for Youth of Republic of Slovenia