Until the end of October, employers have time to apply for participation in the My first salary program, where young people up to 30 years of age are given the opportunity to acquire the necessary work experience.
Also, until the end of November, employers have time to apply for another support program for finding adequate staff – it is a dual education model through which, according to the data of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, more than 15,894 students in 950 companies have gone through.
However, even with numerous incentives for employment, employers in Serbia still have problems finding adequate personnel.
“The issue of the lack of employees concerns both demography and migration, and the issue of quality has to do with the education system, which is outdated and far removed from the needs of companies. That is why dual education is very important as one of the ways to bring the education of young people closer to what is needed in the real world of the economy”, explained the Union of Employers of Serbia.
According to the data of the National Employment Service (NES), currently in our country the most sought-after professions in the IT field are programmers and specialists in various specialties, then mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, economists, lawyers, general practitioners, pharmacists…
When it comes to medium-level qualification profiles, bookkeepers, accountants, electrical technicians – electronics, computers, computer networks and telecommunications, mechanical technicians – constructors, computer control technicians, security workers – security technicians, nurses, cooks, are the easiest to get a job.
The National Employment Service explains to Biznis.rs that the deficit they register is determined by the number of unemployed persons who are registered, certain qualifications and needs of employers, as well as based on additional requirements in terms of knowledge, skills, competences and work experience.
“At the higher level of education, there is a noticeable lack of people in the field of IT technologies, mechanical engineering (graduated mechanical engineers), civil engineers (with licenses), electrical and robotics engineers, specialist doctors, graduated pharmacists.
When it comes to mid-level profiles, the deficient occupations include: accountants, electrical technicians – electronics, computers, computer networks and telecommunications, mechanical technicians – constructors, computer control technicians, cooks, butchers, bakers, construction technicians”, the NSZ states.
Unfortunately, according to the representative of the Union of Serbian Employers, education does not keep up with the needs of the labor market, so that for some, mostly craft occupations, there have been no registered students for years.
The interest in certain schools and study groups depends in part on the situation on the labor market and the need for jobs – for a long time there has been a very high interest of young people in programming and some other occupations in the field of information and communication technologies because they enable easy finding of work and good earnings.
“Nevertheless, many other factors influence the interest of future pupils and students. For example, personal professional interests, some personality traits, basic values ​​within the personal value system that guide the choice, but also the perception of certain professions – how they perceive them, how prestigious they seem to them – are extremely important.
It is noticeable that students are less interested in professions in construction (carpenter, bricklayer), agriculture, forestry, textiles, leather and similar industries “, say our interlocutors.
Also, it should be noted that young people who will choose one of the secondary schools this year and the following years have the opportunity to receive help in making a decision and choosing a secondary school or study through information and counseling on career development opportunities with psychologists from the National Employment Service.
When asked what the results of the dual education program are, the NES said that the concrete effects of this method of education will be seen through monitoring the productivity of staff at workplaces.
“The needs of the labor market in terms of knowledge, skills, abilities, i.e. competences for performing tasks require continuous adaptation to the emerging needs in terms of providing the appropriate staff.
Dual education, as a way of organizing and implementing vocational secondary education, aims to leave the formal system of vocational education with personnel who are ready for independent work, who have a significantly larger volume of higher quality practical skills compared to the traditional classroom type of teaching organization.
When we talk about the requirements of employers regarding the criteria for selecting candidates for the required position, it is noticeable that in addition to appropriate education, preference is also given to persons with work experience, which is directly related to the efforts for young people to acquire practical skills through the dual education system and to be able to performing specific jobs, which will contribute to faster accessibility and competitiveness on the labor market”, concludes the National Employment Service.
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