READY FOR FUTURE CHALLENGES
22.03.2010
With support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Serbia, the representatives of 38 local governments and the director of USAID Economic Security program Michael Pillsbury signed a Memorandum on understanding, at a ceremony held in Belgrade, called "Ready for future challenges"`. This document, as organizers have emphasized during this meeting, create the conditions for strengthening the Youth Office in the area of youth entrepreneurship and facilitate the implementation of programs for the development of entrepreneurship at the local level. The signing was also attended by Minister of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Serbia Snezana Samardzic Markovic and ambassador of United States in Serbia Mary Warlick.

Project ``Creating of youth entrepreneurship action plan", which was proposed by the Office for Youth of Palilula and Pantelej Municipalities - City of Nis, was also awarded a grant by USAID. Agreement on financing the project on behalf of  Palilula Municipality, under the authority of the President, was signed by Boban Mikic, a member of Municipal Council.

The aim of the memorandum is to implement the Program for the development of entrepreneurship at the local level, and its signing has created the institutional preconditions for local office to independently inform young people about the possibilities for engaging in entrepreneurship business- said Minister of Youth and Sport - Snezana Samardzic Markovic. The Minister reminded that Serbia since recently did not have Strategy for Youth, and therefore had no kind of vision what to do with its youth. "Now we have a strategy in which young people themselves identified three key issues - unemployment, lack of information and lack of quality free time," she said, adding that one way of solving these problems is Office for Youth opening. According to her, opening the offices of local governments show that they want to care for young people, and this project will enable and empower them economically. "Serbia in the EU, led by young and motivated people, is the dream that is worth fighting for," said Minister of Youth and Sport Snezana Samardzic Markovic.

On the occasion of the signed Memorandum, the United States Ambassador in Serbia, Mary Warlick stressed: "We are gathered here today in order to expand our joint support for one of the most important activities of young people in Serbia, to strengthen youth entrepreneurship. I am honored that I'm here with the mayors and representatives of local governments, who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and demonstrated a clear commitment to the needs of young people in their communities providing support to the Youth Office. With the signing of this Memorandum, all here present accepted the responsibility to take steps towards resolving the specific challenges facing young people in Serbia in today's economic environment`.

The activities in the field of youth activities implemented by USAID have for their aim to increase the competitiveness of youth at job markets and provide access to additional education in order to gain the skills necessary for the success in the world of entrepreneurship. USAID currently supports 60 of 103 local offices for youth across the country and  in the fields of business and entrepreneurial skills it has trained over 620 young people so far. As part of its regular activities in Serbia USAID Economic Security supports the activities of the organization "Achievements of Youth". This organization during this ceremony presented the results of its work with the 2,700 high school students from 93 schools in Serbia achieved during the last year. This year's program, "Achievements of Youth" is active in 124 schools and brings together nearly 4,000 secondary school students in Serbia.