A need for changes in legislation for better educational policies

The Youth Policies Club of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia organized a meeting on the topic of: “Access to employment measures and reduction of youth unemployment” with representatives of institutions and state agencies, as well as with civil society organizations and youth networks.

Within the framework of the “Parliamentary Support Program”, financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the meeting provided a better insight into the existing measures and programs for the employment of young people from Republic of North Macedonia, their economic empowerment and contribution to the provision of skilled staff for the economy.

The Economic Chamber of North Macedonia, as a strategic partner of the project “Education for Employment in North Macedonia (E4E@мк) and a representative of the interests of the real sector for providing professional and employable staff, introduced the present MPs to the efforts of the project E4E@mk , in terms of acquiring skills among young people through practical training at a real workplace in companies, through the process of formal and informal education, as well as youth employment and their economic empowerment. In addition to dual education and the engagement of the real sector to bridge the gap between the supply and demand of skills, the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia also referred to the necessary changes and adoption of laws that will help for a faster and better realization of these processes, but also for greater youth employability. The Economic Chamber emphasized the need for amendments and/or adoption of the following laws:

• The law on vocational education and training, which will systemically regulate dual education, increase funding for vocational education and help optimize the vocational education system.
• The law on labor relations, which will define the status of a student in the work process in a company and his work experience.
• The Adult Education Law, which will facilitate the retraining and upskilling processes and regulate the validation process – recognition of prior knowledge and experience possessed by individuals acquired during their work, and
• The Law on the National Framework of Qualifications, which is the basis of all reforms in education.

As a complementary activity to the International Youth Day, the event also enabled discussion of several topics that affect young people in the Republic of North Macedonia, especially topics related to development measures for employment and economic empowerment of young people, preparation of the Youth Strategy 2022 – 2027, planning of IPA funds, digitalization, dual education, as well as the engagement of the real sector in the educational process, as solutions that directly affect young people.