On October 22nd, a round table for the signatories of the memorandum of cooperation for the project “Job Fit: Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities” was held in Belgrade.
This significant event was organized at the premises of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the gathering, and it brought together numerous representatives from institutions and organizations with the aim of informing participants about the project’s results, the services available, and exchanging experiences and examples of best practices.
In addition to the signatories of the memorandum, representatives from the Youth with Disabilities Forum, as the project’s main implementer and event organizer were present, along with representatives from partner organizations such as the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, Caritas Serbia, Smart Kolektiv, and Centers for Independent Living for Persons with Disabilities in Serbia. Significant contributions to the meeting were made by counselors from Career Centers for Persons with Disabilities, whose insights from direct work with persons with disabilities helped to enhance understanding of their position in the labor market and the challenges they face.
The meeting was opened by Jovana Krivokuća-Milovanović from the Youth with Disabilities Forum. In her introductory remarks, Jovana emphasized the importance of the joint actions of the signatories of the Memorandum of Cooperation, which includes six local governments—Belgrade, Subotica, Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Valjevo, and Niš—as well as the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the National Employment Service, the National Organization of Persons with Disabilities, and the Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism, as of May 2024, the City of Kragujevac, which supported the establishment of the first Incentive Fund for (self)employment of persons with disabilities, will also join.
Sanja Bunić from the Serbian Chamber of Commerce highlighted that the chamber has supported project activities since the beginning of the collaboration and reflected on the significance of the training for employers that the Youth with disabilities Forum conducted for their members.
Željko Mitkovski from the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation added that supporting entrepreneurship among persons with disabilities is of essential importance and thanked the representatives of the City Administration of Kragujevac for being the first to recognize the need for establishing an Incentive Fund for (self)employment of persons with disabilities in their local community.
Following the introductory speeches, Slađana Lević from the Youth with Disabilities Forum presented the project’s achievements over the past two years. The most important results include the opening of six career centers, which approximately 250 users have accessed, an Internship program for young people with disabilities that involved 20 employers and 22 trainees in the previous cycle, and employer training sessions attended by around 300 participants from the business sector, who received significant information about inclusive procedures and the employment of persons with disabilities. Regarding the Employment Portal for Persons with Disabilities managed by the Youth with disabilities Forum, she noted that the Portal attracted 70 new employers and 500 candidates, and that job postings are more frequent than in the previous period, indicating significant progress in this area.
The subsequent discussion facilitated the exchange of information among the signatories of the Memorandum on activities related to economic empowerment. Participants considered key topics relevant to improving the position of persons with disabilities and the practices implemented by local governments. This exchange of ideas provided an opportunity for jointly considering future steps and potential avenues for cooperation.
At the end of the meeting, Slađana Lević summarized the conclusions, emphasizing the importance of continuing collaboration to ensure equal access to the labor market for persons with disabilities.
This event represents a significant step toward strengthening inclusion and providing support for the employment of persons with disabilities, thereby further enhancing the community’s capacity to respond to the needs of all its members.
