On Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in the premises of the Svilara Cultural Station, Youth with Disabilities Forum arranged a panel discussion and a media breakfast, to introduce interested media representatives to the project ,,Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.“

Youth with Disabilities Forum presented services and activities that will be available to Persons with Disabilities and empoyers in Novi Sad and other parts of Vojvodina during the next three and a half years of project implementation.

This project aims to create equal access to the employment of Persons with Disabilities, as well as to encourage a more open and inclusive labor market in Serbia.

,,The project will provide psychosocial support and career guidance to Persons with Disabilities, while employers will be trained on how to create an inclusive work environment“ said Jovana Krivokuća-Milovanović, executive director of the Youth with Disabilities Forum. ,,In the next year, in two municipalities, the project will support inovative ,,start-up“ financing models and companies that employ People with Disabilities.“

Through the Portal – www.zaposljavanje.fmi.rs, which was developed with the support of the Europian Union and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and which serves to connect Persons with Disabilities who are looking for work and employers, candidates will be able to create their accounts and apply for available job ads, while employers will have the opportunity to directly preselect candidates from the Portal.

,,According to the plan, the city of Novi Sad will allocate 20 million dinars for retraining in the IT sector, and priority will be given to Persons with Disabilities, for whom we will provide free courses, and that is why we are looking forward to becoming a part of this story and this great project“ – said Dr Nenad Ivanišević, Provincial Secretary for Economy and Tourism of the city of Novi Sad.

Dr Lidija Tomaš, head of the City Administration for Social and Child Protection of the city of Novi Sad, reminded that, at the level of this municipality, at the end of last year, a decicion was made on accessibility, which will contribute to working to overcome barriers within this project, and pointed out: ,,The application of accessibility standards is necessary both in the facilities themselves and in the workplaces for the eployment of Persons with Disabilities.“

,,The goal is to promote a labor market that is equal for everyone, and the media are important partners in this process“, said Ana Koeshall, director of Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation.

Project ,,Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities“ is implemented by Youth with Disabilities Forum with the support of the American Agency for International Development (USAID) and in cooperation with partners: Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, Caritas Srbije, Smart Kolektiv and Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities.

Project activities will be implemented on national level with focus on Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Subotica, Zrenjanin and Valjevo.