PRISTINA – Youth is an essential factor in daily life participation in Kosovo it was concluded during the event „Youth Guarantee Program – What’s in for youth“, organized by Kosovar Youth Council, within the „Connecting Youth” platform.
Kosovar Youth Council is part of this Platform, established in 2017 to promote youth connectivity in the region. It is the only initiative of the kind that works as a methodical tool to promote cooperation and dialogue between youth as means for a resilient and diverse region.
During the panel it was recalled that Connecting youth platform has initiated the assessment of the Economic and Investment Plan from the perspective of youth, thus aiming to encourage youth active involvement in such sectorial policy-making process for their initiation to implementation, under the emphasis that rather than just being a beneficiary.
It is concluded that youth should be an actor of change throughout this whole process.
„Kosovo youth who are neither employed, in education or trained (NEET) will receive direct help from the Youth Guarantee scheme, which is very ambitious, but it has already proven to work within Eu member countries where the scheme was tested“, it was said during the panel.
According to Ditjon Fetahu, from Kosovar Youth Council, this scheme is very important for youth in Kosovo and it will involve many stakeholders such as civil society organizations, government and institutions, and the youth as the most important part.
„It is important that the Youth Guarantee scheme reaches those that are harder to reach. This entails that those who were always lacking opportunities find those opportunities through the schemes to academically and professionally further themselves“, says Fetahu for EWB.
He added that it is also very important that youth organizations are essential in policy drafting and implementation to ensure that the voices of the Kosovo youth have a seat at the table where decisions are made.
„The participation of youth in decision making is essential not only in fields where the youth is a focus group but in every sphere of decision making because it is important to understand that, especially in Kosovo where 2/3 of the population is young, every decision made will directly impact the youth“, explains Fetahu.
He assesses that the current state of youth in the decision-making process is not very pleasing which is why Kosovar Youth Council trying to aim to further involve the youth in these areas.
Ditjon Fetahu explains that it is safe to say that the biggest issue that the Kosovo youth faces is unemployment.
“With Kosovo having an unemployment rate of 49.1% it is evident why that is the biggest issue faced by the youth. Unfortunately, Kosovo leads the unemployment rate in the region which is why the implementation of the Connecting Youth platform, and the Youth Guarantee scheme is of such importance because neither employed, in the education of trained (NEET) youth is the main focus“, says Fetahu.