Kosovo Generation Unlimited

Kosovo has one of the youngest populations in Europe. There is a huge opportunity to harness the power of youth to innovate and create. However, the reality today for young people in Kosovo is very different.   

While a child who starts school at age four can expect to complete almost 13 years of school by their 18th birthday, when what children actually learn is factored in, the child’s learning equals to only 7.7 years of school, a learning gap of more than five years. The unemployment rate among 15–24-year-olds is at 21.4 per cent. In the same age group, nearly 33 percent are “Neither in Education, Employment or Training” meaning one in three young people find themselves without an opportunity to study or work.

Overcoming these challenges requires new and innovative ways of working together to scale up investment and create opportunities for and with young people. Kosovo Generation Unlimited is a multi-sector coalition for collaboration, bringing together government institutions, development partners, private sector actors, civil society organizations and young people. K-GenU will empower and engage with young people by connecting them with opportunities to improve their transition from school to work through skills development, mentorship, work or first job experience.

The Internship Scheme is a model developed by UNICEF and partners under the Kosovo Generation Unlimited (K-GenU) umbrella. It will enhance the 21st century skills and professional readiness of 10,000 young people by providing opportunities for work experience through paid internships (accompanied by skills training and an extensive and structured mentorship program). The model combines tested approaches, flexibility, and innovation, with a strong institutional anchorage and ownership within the Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers (MFLT).