Public hearings will be organized by December 23, and the document, among other things, prescribes the right to compensation for internships in the amount of at least two thirds of the minimum wage.
In Serbia, the unemployment rate of young people aged 15 to 24 is constantly higher than the employment rate. Last year, it amounted to 26.6 percent, while the percentage level of youth employment was 20.8, according to the explanation of the draft law on work practice, which will be discussed at public debates throughout Serbia until December 23. The creators of this law remind that young people in our country are characterized by a relatively low level of activity on the labor market, with only 28.3 percent of them being active last year. The draft also draws attention to the fact that young people lag behind their peers in the European Union by about 10 percentage points, which means that the level of activity and employment in this group of citizens is lower, and the unemployment rate is higher than young Europeans. According to the authorities, these are just some of the reasons why this law is being introduced into the Serbian legal system for the first time, and the goal is to increase the chances of young people being invited for a job interview and getting a job in a shorter period of time.
For now, the Ministry of Labor has published the text of the draft law on work practice, and the document, among other things, prescribes the right to compensation for internships in the amount of at least two thirds of the minimum wage, increased by contributions and taxes. As proposed, the trainee will also have the rights from the obligatory pension and disability insurance, as well as the obligatory health insurance.
The draft defines that an intern is a natural person up to the age of 30 who performs an internship with an employer in order to gain practical experience, specific knowledge and appropriate skills for working in a certain profession. An unemployed person who is at least 15 years old and who has acquired at least primary education and does not have work experience in the profession for which he / she is doing an internship can also perform an internship, regardless of whether he / she is registered in the unemployment register. The practitioner’s working hours cannot be longer than 40 hours per week.
The creators of this law also emphasize that work placements increase the chances that a young person will get a job in a shorter period of time than would be the case if he did not attend the internship. In this way, it contributes to a more efficient transition of young people, from school to work in Serbia. According to Eurostat data, a young person in our country needs almost four times more time to find a stable or satisfactory job after school, compared to young people in the EU.
Practical classes and professional practice that are realized with the employer or combined, partly in high school, and partly with the employer, are not considered work practice. Work practice with the employer, which is part of secondary vocational education and upbringing, as well as student practice organized by a higher education institution within basic and master studies, will not be considered a work practice. The internship will not include internships, volunteering, or learning through work with the employer, which is part of the model of realization of teaching in study programs in higher education, Politika reports.
