Sustainable Labour Market Response to Victims of Trafficking in Serbia

This project aims to strengthen the capacity of the Serbian National Employment Service (NES) to support victims of trafficking (VoTs) by 1) addressing the root causes that lead to exploitation, including the feminization of poverty and high rates of unemployment of women, and 2) offering concrete orientation and job placement options. Project activities will be multi-layered – (a) capacity building of the NES staff to apply their skills respecting the specific needs of this vulnerable group, (b) educational upgrading of project beneficiaries through a service voucher system, and (c) establishment of formal links between potential employers and project beneficiaries. Project results will be reflected at both policy and operational levels: at the policy level a paper will be prepared seeking to establish mechanisms for the referral of VoTs to NES services, and at the operational level a group of 20 victims of trafficking will enter gainful and lawful employment. By creating a labour market inclusion mechanism for VoTs, the project may also create opportunities for other vulnerable groups to enter the labor market via NES.