Employment opportunities on the path of European integration

Quality cooperation and communication with the donor and partners, like local self-governments, make a significant success factor in project realization. Help’ cooperation with the City of Vranje has always been excellent demonstrating City’s great willingness and motivation to provide assistance and integration of vulnerable groups.

On the other hand, equally important is donor’s funds and support in the inclusion of marginalized groups of the population into the social and economic life of local and wider communities.

Henceforth, during an official visit to Pcinja District by the Swedish Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Jan Lunding and the Head of Development Cooperation, Mr Ola Andersson paid a visit to some of the Help beneficiaries supported through employment and self-employment project in Vranje. The project is funded by Sweden.

One of them is Jelena, an economist who never worked in her field of profession, but thanks to the donation became a proud owner of a designers handbag shop. After countless attempts to get a job, Jelena learned about Help’s project and applied for sewing machines. So, once just a hobby, a creation out of love, has been transformed into a micro-business that brings a regulars source of income to her and her family.

They also visited an auto-mechanic who moved his shop from village to the city upon receiving a donation from Help. Together with his brothers, he now provides more efficiently car-repair services. The business is developing fast and there are plans to hire more workers.

A part of the project also makes the component on-the-job-training. After education, young people lack experience and have difficulties to get employed. One vicious circle that one can still get out of with the on-the-job-training. Thanks to the syne

Thanks to Help’s networking of relevant local participants, more than half of those young people who attended the training got employment and remained with the same company.

Within the Help project “Poverty reduction through employment opportunities for Serbia’s EU accession” , funded by Sweden, was supported 108 beneficiaries with in-kind grants from 2014 until the end of 2018, in Vranje. Business training attended 106 and vocational 47 supported beneficiaries.

Through Help’s project of economic empowerment over 500 beneficiaries were supported in Vranje so far.