Youth employment

Activate!Youth in Montenegro

This two-year project will support Montenegro to bring youth under 29 years of age back to the labour market. Such ‘welfare-to-work’ programmes help Montenegro in meeting its commitments under the current and forthcoming Economic Reform Programmes (ERPs), whereby the EU has recommended to the country to ensure better coordination between employment activation measures and social benefit schemes.

In Montenegro, persistently low employment (especially of young people) and low activity rates (particular of women) characterise the labour market. Youth with only primary education can take up to 61 months to complete the school-to-work transition. In 2017, 21.4 percent of youth (15-29 years) were not in education, employment or training (NEET). Youth, especially from rural areas, are frequently in vulnerable employment. Women continue to face specific barriers when joining the workforce, earning less and facing difficulties in balancing work and family responsibilities.

This joint action of the UN in Montenegro "Integrated Social Protection and Employment to Accelerate Progress for Young People in Montenegro" aims to have more young people on the labour market through better activation programmes and services.  The ILO intervention will focus on youth and women, to increase their participation in employment and training to reduce their dependence on social protection schemes.

In the spirit of ‘Leaving no one behind’, the project caters to those young people who are marginalized. The participating agencies use a human-centered approach that places the needs and characteristics of youth at the core of the UN action. Each agency will contribute according to their technical areas and expertise. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare of Montenegro is in leadership and coordinates the efforts of all parties. The ILO works closely with the Employment Agency of Montenegro and the social partners to deliver an innovative ‘welfare-to-work’ programme for youth.