Government promotes new measure for re-qualification of unemployed persons

Vice Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Koco Angjusev and Minister of Labor and Social Policy Mila Carovska promoted Sunday new measure “Chance for All” encompassing the re-qualification of unemployed persons in line with the economy’s needs.

The measure, which will be included in the Government’s 2019 Employment Operational Plan, was elaborated at an info-session attended by representatives of chambers, business associations and other organizations.
Vice Prime Minister Angjusev said the measure aimed at overcoming one of the largest problems that businessmen face – the lack of qualified staff – but also help unemployed persons by offering them six-month re-qualification covered by the state.
Angjusev noted that education should be adapted to the economy’s needs, saying there is disproportion in the education of unemployed persons with the company’s requirements in certain municipalities.

“An example of this is one municipality, where 12 geography or history graduates are unemployed, with only one school that requires a single teacher in these subject. It is clear that the 11 others will not get the job. Therefore, we need to help them re-qualify and find a job in Macedonia,” he added.

The draft-measure incorporates analyses at a municipal level regarding the education level of unemployed persons and nominated job positions in companies.”We will see the interest for such a job position and plan budget funds accordingly, towards supporting the staff’s re-qualification,” said Angjusev.
Minister Carovska said the idea was to create measures through dialogue with the business community, thus balancing the labor market offer and demand.
“Let’s give a chance to all those who possess the required level of education, adapt them to the factual state and activate them on the labor market,” said Carovska.

According to her, the Employment Operational Plan has yielded results, with this year’s employment budget almost doubled when compared to 2016.
UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton said they focused on filling the lack of qualified workforce in the fastest and most efficient way.
Chambers and the business community welcomed the Government’s proposal, saying the re-qualification should maybe start immediately, not 2019.
Economic Chamber of Macedonia president Branko Azeski said the lack of qualified staff is one of the companies’ biggest problem, which needs to be solved through a combination of measures.

Economic Chamber of North-West Macedonia chairman Nebi Hoxha added that some businessmen even contemplated on importing workers from abroad, with the construction sector being the weakest spot. He also highlighted the fact that many workers are leaving the country. Some businessmen also thought about importing workers from foreign markets, and the most threatened field, according to him, is the construction industry.