The “Youth Guarantee” programme was presented at Europe House, organised by the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue, the Employment Agency, and local authorities.
During the meeting, models for establishing cooperation among partners were presented, all aimed at educating young people, supporting their employment in the north of the country, and preventing their displacement, which is evident in both the north and the south.
The Director General of the Directorate for Youth and Cooperation with NGOs at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Darko Stojanović, stated that cooperation with local authorities and other partners is crucial for the project, as it concerns retaining young people in the northern part of the country.
A representative of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje, Miloš Kljajević, said that the “Youth Guarantee” is an initiative with a clear goal: that every person under the age of 30 should receive, within four months of completing their education, an offer of employment, further education, a traineeship, or quality training.
“This is not, and cannot be, a luxury or a privilege, but must become a reality for Montenegro and for our Bijelo Polje, because it is an issue on which the retention of young people, economic development, demographic stability and the long-term sustainability of our town depend. Bijelo Polje has potential: educated young people, a strong cultural identity, natural resources and growing entrepreneurial energy. It is up to us to activate this potential,” Kljajević stated.
The Deputy National Coordinator of the programme, on behalf of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue, Ivan Medenica, said that the “Youth Guarantee” is an important project for the future of young people and one of the key efforts by the state of Montenegro to address the problem of brain drain.
“By the beginning of 2027, the Youth Guarantee should become active and fully implementable in all 25 municipalities. We are currently working to strengthen cooperation at the local level, because everything begins there and through local partnerships. The Youth Guarantee is a comprehensive programme that should include offers from municipalities, local youth services, the Employment Agency, the non-governmental sector, and all services that provide opportunities for education, training and skills development for young people,” Medenica explained.
An adviser at the Employment Bureau in Bijelo Polje, Jadranka Rakonjac, said that the Bureau is actively implementing this programme and that during 2025, cooperation was established with employers and unemployed persons registered in their records.
“Through our active employment policies and measures, we have included around 120 people, while more than 200 people have been employed through this programme. I would like to point out that we have encountered certain difficulties related to the withdrawal of some participants, so we may want to consider establishing some form of support this year to prevent this from happening again. The Youth Guarantee is extremely important, and a particular challenge and task for us is to do much more for Bijelo Polje, as we are aware that young people are leaving our town,” Rakonjac explained.
Branko Stešević from the Ministry of Sports and Youth said at today’s meeting that it is necessary to reach people who may not have internet access.
“The Ministry must reach individuals who are difficult to access through conventional channels. Youth or outreach work is one way to inform this group. We must have people in the field who can explain to the population why it is important to contact the Employment Office, to apply for the Youth Guarantee programme, and to return to the system. The problem is complex, and we are here to reach an agreement and find the best possible approach,” Stešević added, noting that cooperation with the Municipality of Bijelo Polje has always been good.
Author: Eldina Bećirović
Source: Radio Bijelo Polje
Photographs: Dalibor Rakočević