Inclusive Academy for Employment of Young People with Disabilities

According to the latest census of population in Serbia, there are 571,780 people who have difficulties or are completely unable to perform daily activities, while estimates say that about 700,000 people with disabilities (PWDs) live in the country, which makes about 10 percent of the population. Among them there are young people with disabilities who are often multiply marginalised.[1] Although many results have been achieved in the previous period that have improved inclusion in the fields of education, social protection and employment, there are still challenges in the field of employment of young people with disabilities.

Among the concerns that young people with disabilities have is the question how they will organise life after completing formal education, what kind of support is necessary, and how they can get involved in the world of work. The families of the people with disabilities are most worried about the issue while all those engaged in direct work with the beneficiaries face the same dilemmas.

The Association of Psychologists from Novi Pazar recognised the importance of resolving this issue, and their engagement in the "Inclusive Academy" project, which was supported by the European Union (EU) through the EU PRO programme, showed that progress may be achieved when it comes to employment  of vulnerable social groups.

"It is extremely important for young people with disabilities to be empowered, to acquire basic knowledge and skills in order to be included in the social community as much as possible. The purpose of our project was to improve the process of their employment from the very beginning ", says Zehra Hasanbegović, president of the Association.

As she explains, during formal education, and particularly in special schools, which are attended by most PWDs, not much attention is paid to the development of their competencies in the field of employment. With prejudices about the possibilities of their work engagement, often these young young people do not have the self-confidence or motivation to even consider employment because they are not aware of their own possibilities, interests, work abilities.

“Through the activities of the "Inclusive Academy" project, we have tried to develop new knowledge, skills and capacities in young people that can contribute to their daily functioning, independence and empowerment, but also to the progress of the organisation in which they would potentially be employed. The ultimate goal is to help them be socially active members of the community ”, states Zehra Hasanbegović.

Within the project, the Centre for Youth Career Development was established, and provided individual career guidance and counseling services for 20 young people with disabilities. They participated in 30 different workshops and improved their personal and professional competencies, communication, organisational and computer skills. All of them completed a two-month internship in four companies in Novi Pazar, where they had mentoring support in performing tasks. It was an important step towards their psychological empowerment and preparation to enter the labor market.

For many beneficiaries, this was their first work experience, which, in addition to increasing their employment opportunities, significantly contributed to increasing their self-confidence and sense of personal value.

"At the workshops, I learned how to have a job interview, how to apply for a job through advertisements, how to behave at work. We hung out, I met new friends. I couldn't wait to come to the workshops ”, says Emir Brničanin, a 21-year-old citizen of Novi Pazar who was a beneficiary of the project.

"I worked as a waiter for two months and learned how to greet guests, to serve, to arrange products, while other colleagues taught me a lot," says Emir about his work experience.

In addition to this project in Novi Pazar, the European Union, in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration, supported projects of civil society organisations that improve the quality of life of people with disabilities in Sjenica, Leskovac and Vranje. Special focus was given to children and youth, while the social inclusion of more than 220 PWDs has been improved through the advancement in services, enabling better living conditions for them and their families, as well as through economic empowerment and increased employability.