For every adolescent - the opportunity to learn and work
UNICEF Montenegro is calling for more intensive cooperation between the private sector and the education system for a quality transition from school to the labour market
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Podgorica, 14 September 2022 – 56 per cent of adolescents in Montenegro believe that their education is not preparing them for employment, according to a 2021 analysis by UNICEF and the European Training Foundation (ETF). All girls and boys should have the chance to study and work in order to become productive citizens – this was the message of UNICEF Montenegro Representative Juan Santander after meeting with the young people and employers who participated in the “Prilike” (“Opportunities”) programme, supported by UNICEF.
“This programme helps young people understand better what different jobs look like in real life. Such an insight is useful to adolescents for making an informed decision about their future career and independent lives. I would like to call upon the private sector and education system to collaborate more intensively and efficiently to better support quality transition from school to the labour market in Montenegro,” Santander said.
British Ambassador to Montenegro Karen Maddocks sent her message of support for the programme.
“Giving young people this experience, perhaps in a sector where they had considered entrance to be difficult, can build their familiarity and confidence, as well as their professional networks. I was particularly pleased to see that the programme is focusing support on empowering young women, an important priority for the British Embassy,” the ambassador said.
Seventeen-year-old Ivona Djokmarkovic is one of the adolescents who decided to join the “Prilike” programme.
“I expect to acquire new skills, to meet people with great work experience and to expand my network of contacts. My peers, who have already taken part in ‘Prilike’, motivated me to join,” Djokmarkovic explained.
High school graduate Luka Brajevic applied for this programme in order to narrow down his choice for the future profession.
“I hope that this on-the-job learning experience will show me some features of the profession that I am interested in. This experience will help me decide faster what job I would like to do in future. I’m a high school graduate, so it’s vital for me to decide as soon as possible,” Brajevic said.
As many as 98 per cent of the young people who applied for the “Prilike” programme pointed out that they had never participated in a similar programme that offers them the opportunity for career guidance and on-the-job learning experiences.
According to European Commission data from 2021, more than one in four (27 per cent) of Montenegro’s young people aged 15–29 are not in education, employment or training.
UNICEF’s “Prilike” programme is being implemented by ADP-ZID, the NGO Digitalizuj.me and the Association of Youth with Disabilities of Montenegro, with the financial support of the TUI Care Foundation.
