Economic Empowerment of Youth

The objective of the Economic Empowerment of Youth project was to provide sustainable opportunities for young people in two economically depressed regions: the municipalities of Jajce and Srebrenica.

Jajce and Srebrenica were well-developed and prosperous before the Bosnian war. Now, they face a host of obstacles to economic development: damaged or obsolete infrastructure, ‘brain drain’ as the youth move to find work, and market isolation. Moreover, their local labour market is characterized by few opportunities and a growing skills gap. Unfortunately, the combination of these factors means that the business environment is not supportive of entrepreneurship. Those who decide to start their own businesses are hobbled by their lack of access to the larger market, complicated administrative procedures, and poor opportunities for finance.

Kolektiv wants to change that. In cooperation with the British government and local stakeholders, we administered the Economic Empowerment of Youth project. It provided a model for youth employment by providing direct support for job creation in the private sector while simultaneously offering opportunities for skills development and greater linkage to the labour market. The EEY project understood that entrepreneurism is a vital component of economic renewal, and directly supported these young businesspeople as they created new companies and new jobs, brining much needed economic vitality to these regions.

Our local partners were the municipalities of Jajce and Srebrenica, the Friends of Srebrenica Association, and the Centre for Education.  The project resulted in 72 new jobs and 9 launched start-ups.

PROJECT DETAILS

PURPOSE  :  Economic Development

CLIENT  :  The British Embassy in Sarajevo

RESULTS  :  72 new jobs created, 9 startups supported

DURATION  :  March 2016 – March 2017

Economic Empowerment of Srebrenica
DRIVE conference