Sustainable Labour Market Response to VoT Economic Inclusion

Project Duration: 1 May 2009 - 31 October 2010

Project Partners: National Employment Service, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, NGO Atina

Donors: IOM Development Fund

The project aimed to strengthen the capacity of the Serbian National Employment Service (NES) to support the economic empowerment of victims of trafficking (VoTs) by

  1. addressing the root causes that led to exploitation, including the feminization of poverty and high rates of unemployment of women, and
  2. by offering concrete professional orientation and job placement options. Project activities were multi-layered – from capacity-building of the NES staff (23 staff from 10 branch offices) to apply their skills respecting specific needs of this vulnerable group, to educational upgrading of direct project beneficiaries, victim of trafficking (27) through a service voucher system and to establishing formal links between potential employers and project beneficiaries.

Project results reflected at both policy and operational levels: at the policy level a paper was adopted establishing mechanisms for the referral of VoTs to NES services, and at the operational level – a group of 27 victims of trafficking entered gainful and lawful employment. By creating an economic inclusion mechanism for VoTs, the project has opened the possibility for other vulnerable groups to enter the labour market via NES.

As a direct project activity, VoTs have been for the first time recognized as a group at risk and in need of special attention of the NES in a strategic document – National action plan for employment for 2010 and for 2011. The NAP identified the need to encourage employment of the VoTs, amongst other marginalized groups – refugees and IDPs, returnees, VoTs and social welfare benefits users.

Project partners: National Employment Service (Ministry of Economy and Regional Development), Service for coordination of protection of victims of trafficking (Ministry of Labour and Social Policy), NGO Atina. This project was implemented from 1 May 2009 to 31 October 2010 and was funded by the IOM Development Fund with a total budget of USD 174,873.

Project Status: Completed