Enhancing Youth Employment (EYE)


In order to contribute to the better employment perspectives for young women and men in Kosovo, the Enhancing Youth Employment project will focus its support in its last phase on improving technical and soft skills for young people through promoting non-formal training solutions. At the same time, it will facilitate the improvement of career guidance services and the labour market information system that would in turn contribute to better informed career choices for young people in Kosovo.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Kosovo
Employment & economic development
Vocational training
nothemedefined
Employment creation
Vocational training
01.01.2021 - 31.12.2024
CHF  5’000’000
Background Kosovo’s demography continues to be a stiff challenge, having one of the youngest populations in Europe (half of its population below 30 years old), and approximately 30’000 young women and men entering the labor market every year. Private sector is considered the only engine for employment generation and economic development in Kosovo. However, growth of the private sector is challenged among others by weak infrastructure, an insecure legal framework and a shortage of workers with relevant skills. The overall unemployment rate in Kosovo pre-COVID-19 was 25.7%; while youth unemployment is 49.4%. Minorities are disproportionately affected by unemployment, with only 6% of the total population they represent 13.8% of the unemployed. Gender gap is also prominent, men have an employment rate of 46.2% while women only 13.9%. These figures were gradually improving over the last years. Unfortunately, it is expected that the pandemic is likely to erode many of the social and economic gains achieved, with a bigger negative impact on minorities and youth that are not in employed or in education.
Objectives

Young women and men, including disadvantaged and excluded groups, benefit from new or better employment opportunities in a sustainable way

By the end of 2024, 3,000 people will have new or better employment perspectives (1,000 because of better skills while 2,000 jobs through formal job matching service providers and career centres).“ Better employment” is when a project beneficiary is promoted or gets higher compensation.

5,000 people will be enrolled in vocational skills development, 50 companies will be contributing to relevant vocational skills development while 37,000 youth will access use new/improved labour market information and services facilitated by the project (career information and job mediation).

Target groups Young women and men in transition from education to work and aged 15 to 35 years old, in particular young women, youth from minority communities, and youth with lower educational backgrounds.
Medium-term outcomes

Outcome 1: Young women and men have increased access to training and employability through a more market-oriented non-formal training system

Outcome 2: Young women and men make informed career choices and gain more employment opportunities through an improved labour market information system

Results

Expected results:  

By the end of 2019, 3,074 people got employed as a result of the second phase interventions, out of which 42% were women and 15% of the project beneficiaries were from minority communities. The project’s contribution in the area of market-oriented training delivery and job mediation showed high probability to scale and become sustainable market functions. For e.g. EYE project interventions established School Based Career Centres in 9 Municipalities that have provided their services to 9,597 students. 7,909 young people received labour market relevant training and 13% of them got employed.

EYE project also worked on developing 15 occupational standards that are in line with the labour market and industry needs, and as a result it is expected that by the end of the second phase at least 10,000 students will benefit by being enrolled in these profiles.

As an indirect project result the number of businesses that use the job mediation services increased, for e.g. a private job mediation portal reported a 150% increase of enterprises using their services, only within two years.


Results from previous phases:  

By the end of 2019, 3,074 people got employed as a result of the second phase interventions, out of which 42% were women and 15% of the project beneficiaries were from minority communities. The project’s contribution in the area of market-oriented training delivery and job mediation showed high probability to scale and become sustainable market functions. For e.g. EYE project interventions established School Based Career Centres in 9 Municipalities that have provided their services to 9,597 students. 7,909 young people received labour market relevant training and 13% of them got employed.

EYE project also worked on developing 15 occupational standards that are in line with the labour market and industry needs, and as a result it is expected that by the end of the second phase at least 10,000 students will benefit by being enrolled in these profiles.

As an indirect project result the number of businesses that use the job mediation services increased, for e.g. a private job mediation portal reported a 150% increase of enterprises using their services, only within two years.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Swiss cooperation with Eastern Europe
Project partners Contract partner
Private sector
Foreign state institution
Swiss Non-profit Organisation
  • Central State of South East
  • HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation
  • Swiss Private Sector


Other partners
Implementing consortium: HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation (lead) and Management Development Associates (MDA) (local agency)
Coordination with other projects and actors EYE project will continue to cooperate with SDC private sector project (PPSE) and the Social Inclusion project (SORAE), especially in the area of career guidance services as a follow up from the second phase. Additional cooperation will be ensured with the SDC funded DEMOS project especially for the project activities at municipal level related to both career guidance and job mediation services. Close coordination will be ensured with the Kosovo Challenge Fund to which SDC contributes, especially related to labourmarket relevant training provision. Other donor projects financed via USAID, EU, ADA and GIZ will also be closely followed. SCO-K actively participates in donor coordination in the areas of Vocational Skills development.
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    5’000’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    3’951’014
Project phases Phase 3 01.01.2021 - 31.12.2024   (Current phase) Phase 2 01.01.2017 - 31.12.2020   (Completed) Phase 1 01.08.2010 - 31.12.2016   (Completed)