ZAGREB, Oct 12 (Hina) - From March 2002 through August this year 33,748 people found jobs through six government programmes intended to stimulate employment. Employers found some programmes very interesting while the most vaunted one,
"From University to Work", backfired the most.
ZAGREB, Oct 12 (Hina) - From March 2002 through August this year
33,748 people found jobs through six government programmes
intended to stimulate employment. Employers found some programmes
very interesting while the most vaunted one, "From University to
Work", backfired the most. #L#
According to government plans, said programmes should provide
employment for 36,772 people by the end of this year. Over the next
five years 1.2 billion kuna from the Employment Fund will be
invested in all six programmes.
The "From University to Work" programme attracted the most public
attention but also caused the biggest disappointment. Through this
programme the Croatian Employment Institute was supposed to
motivate employers, through benefits and cost-sharing, to give
work to people under 27 who graduated.
The programme intended to encourage students to complete studies
sooner and return to their hometowns, and to discourage them from
going abroad to seek employment.
However, from March 2002 through mid-September this year, only
2,947 people, or 8.9 percent of all who found a job, were employed
through this programme. As early as last year it was evident that
there was no interest in it since only 1,100 people of 7,050
envisaged found a job within 12 months.
HZZ manager Sanja Crnkovic-Pozaic agrees the programme bombed,
which she puts down to wrong planning and an overambitious
concept.
The programme has not been a complete misfire since more than 28
percent of young people from this target group did find jobs.
Money spent on all six government programmes did not exceed
interest in the programmes given that all are financed from a joint
fund and money is allocated when contracts are signed with
employers.
Employers were most interested in the programme for the employment
of trainees and the training of workers in line with labour market
requirements. About 23,660 people, much more than planned, found
employment through this programme.
A programme for older persons with experience also proved to be good
since 2,572 people found jobs by the end of August this year, as did
a programme for the employment of war veterans which provided 4,327
with jobs.
Employers were less interested in a programme for the employment of
craftsmen without prior experience and one for the employment of
the disabled.
The government will decide later this year whether the programmes
are to be implemented next year in the same or an altered form.
(hina) ha