Short description: Overall objective: to provide support to the reduction of youth unemployment in Serbia Specific objectives:to strengthen NES capacities of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of integrated programmes for vulnerable youth; to provide support to the local NES Branch Offices to more efficiently manage new employment programmes;inclusion of low-qualified unemployed youth in the active employment policy measures; implementation of programmes for active employment of youth;evaluation of programme effects on employment and salaries. Expected results: unemployed youth (15-30) with qualification levels I and II and secondary school dropouts are included in employment programmes (information on labour market, assistance in job search, intensive counselling, vocational training and subsidized employment; training for NES counsellors in Branch Offices provided (individual work with clients and case management; NES capacities to identify vulnerable groups in the labour market and work with them strengthened

  Achieved results: The text of the Public Call for programmes within the project formulated (on the basis of which promotional materials were prepared); necessary documentation of NES defined (director’s decisions, contracts, authorization for contract signing); requirements for IT support within UIS defined; according to the Guidelines, the establishing of External Assessment Board started (a body responsible for certification of persons who successfully completed training according to the contract); since the beginning of the project, 42 contracts have been concluded with employers and 129 persons included in trainings; so far, all contracts referred to the programme On-Job Training; during February 2010, additional 22 contracts were concluded with employers (which is a monthly record since the beginning of the project in October); 53 unemployed persons from NES Register were encompassed by trainings.

Comment: **BUDGET: 1.2 million USD (Government of Italy) and 450,000 USD (Government of Republic of Serbia)