Director of the National Employment Service (NSZ) Dejan Jovanovic announced yesterday that through seven programmes, for which RSD 5.55 billion has been earmarked, the NSZ plans to find employment for 60,000 people in Serbia.

Jovanovic told a press conference that the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development will finance employment measures with RSD 3.9 billion, while the share of the NSZ will be RSD 1.65 billion.

He recalled that this year a new employment programme Specialised Practice 2011 has been introduced to hire 5,000 young people below 30 years of age in private companies and state institutions.

A total of RSD 500 million has been set aside for the programme, Jovanovic said, explaining that unemployed persons with at least a high school degree are eligible for the programme.

In order to finance measures for actively searching for employment, RSD 10 million will be allocated to hire 80,000 unemployed persons through career fairs, trainings in active job search and similar.

Up to RSD 2.6 billion has been earmarked for the First Chance 2011 programme in order to train 15,000 young people below 30 years of age and without previous working experience.

Jovanovic noted that as part of this programme, young people will undergo a three-month internship period during which they will receive RSD 10,000 a month, while the employer is under obligation to retain young interns for another 12 months.

He specified that RSD 1 billion will be set aside for subsidies for the creation of 4,300 new jobs in underdeveloped areas in order to encourage even-balanced regional development.

We plan to set aside RSD 300 million to subsidise 2,000 entrepreneurial stores where one-off aid for starting a business activity will be RSD 160,000, Jovanovic added.

A public works programme will provide jobs for 5,000 citizens over 45 years of age with an insufficient education level, for which RSD 700 million will be earmarked.

In order to acquire additional skills and knowledge with an employer over a period of six months, RSD 280 million will be set aside for 2,300 persons, Jovanovic said.

Public competitions for self-employment and the creation of new jobs for programmes First Chance 2011 and Specialised Practice 2011, as well as competitions for performing public works and training for employers’ needs, have been published in today’s daily newspapers.