Macedonian Enterprise Development Foundation

Apprenticeship – a new employment opportunity

Last year, the Macedonian Enterprise Development Foundation (MEDF), in cooperation with the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC), implemented the project “Training through practical work for young Roma”.
The project’s objective was to increase the young Roma (self) employment opportunities by developing entrepreneurship skills and stimulating (self) employment. The project covered 59 young Roma to the age of 30 from 5 communities included in the Applied Education for Young Roma Program, being implemented by MCIC. The project was carried out in Kumanovo, Stip, Gostivar, Kocani and Delcevo. 21 of them were employed after they had completed the training.

“A few activities have been realized with the project, such as promotion of opportunities for improving qualifications and capabilities of young Roma communities, promotion of an equal approach for Roma at the local labor markets, as well as organization and delivery of professional training (through apprenticeship). The training was realized by qualifying barbers, hairdressers, cosmeticians, tailors, carpenters, blacksmiths, tire-fitters, builder-tillers and plumbers. As an exception of these vocational skills, we would mention the training of a young Roma girl from Delcevo, in the local library, as an archivist”, said Gligor Mihajlovski, MEDF project associate.

Training through practical work was implemented in the towns by the Roma non-governmental organizations: HDZR “Mesecina” from Gostivar, “Daja” and “Drom” in Kumanovo, CKKER “Svetla Idnina” in Kocani, “Kham” in Delcevo, “Sao Roma” and “Romani Asvin” in Stip. The organizations had made a selection and an agreement with the companies where practical four-month training through practical work for young Roma was carried out. Each of them received 1,500 denars per month.

 

Stip

In the municipalities of Stip and Karbinci, when talking about Roma population employment, there are a few problems that need to be considered. In Stip there are about 2,195 Roma or 5% of the total population.  

According to the Stip Employment Agency’s data, the number of unemployed Roma according to education is 793 persons. 2 of them are with university background, 2 with two-year post secondary school qualifications, 13 with secondary school background, 10 people are qualified, 92 people are PKV and NSO, and 674 people are unqualified, August 2005 inclusive.

In the Stip Action Plan for Roma Decade for 2006-2010, initiated by “Romani Asvin”, Roma Children’s Embassy, Roma Rights Association and the Regional Business Center Association from Stip, it has been mentioned that one of the reasons for this difficult situation is that they are not well-informed, resulting from the lack of interest by the Roma population (unemployed, fit for work persons, registered in the employment agency) about their rights and obligations that come from the Law on employment and insurance in case of unemployment. The second problem in the sphere of employment is the fact that Roma people are most often engaged in doing jobs they are underpaid for (cleaning houses, manual workers, seasonal workers etc). This problem results from the low educational structure of this population. As users of state benefit of Roma nationality (according to the JU MCSR, it is about 450 families that use the rights through the Employment Agency), they are registered only as users of these rights, without thinking of their own engagement in small or medium-sized business.

While we were visiting a company where training through practical work was being realized, in the ready-to-wear clothing factory “Vivendi”, we met the 22-year old Safie Kadrieva.

“I finished high school and since I could not find a job, I applied to this training through practical work. We are five people in my family and we barely make ends meet. The life is expensive. I am really pleased with my job. I have been in this factory for four months. I am trying to learn as much as I can to get employed. I might be kept here, if not, I will try some other place”, she told us.

10 young Roma have been accepted in the ready-to-wear clothing companies “Vivendi” and “Konti” as apprentices through “Romani asvin” and “Sao Roma”.

“Our company has been operating for four years. In the beginning we had more employees because we were several branches. Now, since we have become independent, we have about thirty workers. We mainly make women ready-to-wear clothing for export. The idea of training through practical work is welcomed. There are no prejudices about Roma between the employees. Since the very beginning of the apprenticeship, it has been obvious who can do this job. I think that three-four months are enough to learn something, but the most important are their will and desire. I hope that we will employ those who turn out to be the best”, said Katica Arsovska, manager in “Konti”.

 

Kumanovo

As they told us in the organization “Daja”, through which training through practical work is being realized, in the beginning, after polling about 50 young Roma, the most interested were called, who had already expressed a wish to be apprentices in some companies.

We went to the hairdressing salon “Modelino” in Kumanovo, where we were welcomed by a smiling girl with impeccable hairstyle and make-up. I thought she was one of the owner’s apprentices, which was why we came to talk about hairdressers’ training. To my great surprise, she was the owner herself of the salon, our host, Nade Destanovska. Three other girls and two boys were in the salon ready to tell us their new experiences in hairdressing.

“Why a hairdresser? I have always wanted this”, says Nade. “When I was 12-13 years old I started doing my family’s hair at home. My mother was often my model for practicing”, she adds. Nade was 15 when she attended her first hairdressing course. She was also part of training through practical work, which is how she upgraded hairdressing skills. “I did not continue my education, but I learnt a trade that I can earn a living with“, she says. “Now I can provide it to other young people who have decided to learn this. Thank to the Macedonian Enterprise Development Foundation and the Program Applied Education for Young Roma of the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation, my ‘pupils’ receive a craft and food allowance. The training will end at the end of the year and at the moment I have nine people interested in becoming hairdressers”, says Nade smiling.

“It is not easy”, she says, “but this is an honest job and one can make a living of it. There are periods when I do not have a lot of work. In summer, when there are a lot of weddings, I often have to get up at 4 a.m. and start working at 5 a.m. With the profit from this hairdressing salon I support my family of seven members and I regularly pay the taxes for the salon. If I can do it, why would not anyone else do it?”, says Nade. We said goodbye to our cheerful host and her “apprentices”. We wished many young people to become familiar with her hairdressing skills and her positive character.

 

What further?

This is a good attempt of the civil society sector, by this form to get involved in solving the problem of unemployment of one of the most affected ethnic communities. Apprenticeship will help young Roma to acquire knowledge and skills, so that they could find a job more easily.

by Gramoz Shabani / Gonce Jakovleska