Overview:

Workforce development is a critical component to the economic competitiveness of any country. In Serbia, universities are adapting curricula and instituting reforms. However, there is a need for greater input from the private sector to ensure curricula match current and future market needs, and prevent the “brain drain” from the country. According to the World Economic Forum, Serbia ranks second to last, or 132 out of 133 countries, in brain drain, which underscores the need for the country to establish strong cooperation between the education sector and the marketplace.

Strategic Approach and Objectives:

The Competitiveness Project aims to identify and address the human capital needs across the eight sectors in which we work, and apply a demand-driven approach to support the ability of academic and vocational institutions to meet private sector needs for human resources. This component also focuses on improving workforce productivity and engagement with the private sector to encourage youth employment and internship opportunities where appropriate, as well as entrepreneurship.

The Competitiveness Project aims to:

• Identify the human capital needs in targeted sectors;
• Apply a demand-driven approach to support the academic institutions ability to meet private sector needs for human resources and incorporate private sector demand into academic and professional education programs;
• Improve workforce productivity and engagement with the private sector to encourage youth and female employment opportunities where appropriate

Key Activities:

Skills Gap Analysis - In 2008, the Project conducted an Opportunities and Constraints Study of 12 Key Sectors of Serbian Economy, to identify business sectors with the greatest need for technical assistance. It became clear that targeted support to human capital development will contribute to improved competitiveness and productivity in some Serbian sectors. As a result, the Project initiated a Skills Gap Analysis to inform future workforce development initiatives in the following sectors: Information and Communication Technologies, Education (particularly Business Education), Apparel, and Film & Production. Click here to view the final Skill Gap Analysis.

University Career CenterDevelopment – The Project’s initial Sector Skills Gap Analysis uncovered a large variance in the ability of university career centers to advance relationships with the private sector to build demand for internships and to train and prepare students to market themselves to potential employers. To address this gap, the Project has facilitated Job Placement Training workshops with nine university/faculty careers centers to increase the knowledge and skills of staff to create stronger linkages between education and the private sector and facilitate efficient internship and job placement of university-educated workforce. The Project has also supported the acquisition of tools and technology to further assist career centers with providing high-quality services to students. The Project also developed the Recruitment in Serbia brochure which provides university graduates information on the recruitment process in Serbia and assistance with employment opportunities.

Student Internship Development - The Project has facilitated the development and promotion of structured internship programs in small-medium enterprises (SMEs) in target sectors through the establishment of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) HR/Workforce Development Taskforce. The Taskforce would provide an opportunity for companies to share their internship models, so that Serbian businesses could leverage lessons learned to start their own internship programs.

Technical Skills Curriculum Development: Green Building Curriculum - The Project is facilitating the incorporation of Green Building into the curricula of technical faculties in Serbia, starting with the University of Belgrade Architectural Faculty. The curriculum is designed to prepare university students to obtain a LEED® Green Associate  professional accreditation, a credential which denotes a basic knowledge of green design, construction and operations. The LEED Seminar Series will be an intensive semester-long course teaching topics of LEED and overall sustainable design. 

Executive Education Development - Based on results from the Skills Gap Analysis, the Project has implemented several activities to improve the management of upper-level managers, including a two-day workshop at the University of Novi Sad in Strategic Project Management, and the introduction of a Project Management course designed in accordance with international standards and requirements for certification by the U.S. Project Management Institute (PMI). To learn more about our work establishing the Project Management course, visit our ICT page.

CISCO Entrepreneurship Institute Training Center Establishment- In March 2009, the Project supported establishment of the CISCO Entrepreneurship Institute at the University of Novi Sad Technical School. The Institute fills a critical gap in building the  management and business skills for mid and senior level managers in the ICT and construction sectors. For more information on our work with the CISCO Entrepreneurship Institute, visit our ICT sector page (insert link here).

LEED Green Associate Certification - The Project is working closely with the Association of Consulting Engineers of Serbia (ACES) and Colliers International to implement the first LEED® Green Associate course in Serbia. The course covers topics such as costs and benefits of Green Building, LEED certification processes and LEED core concepts. The Project offers financial support to cover up to 50% of the cost for successful completion of the certification course for professionals, students, faculty members, and ACES members who have the potential to influence development of the green building industry in Serbia. The first course offering was completed in December 2009, and the second round is currently underway. To learn how the Competitiveness Project can help you obtain LEED Certification, click here.