Skopje  - Today, the Municipality of Tetovo established a Local Economic and Social Council (LESC) with support from the USAID Youth Employability Skills (YES) Network project.  The LESC will serve as an advisory and consultative body to the municipality on issues such as employment of youth and the link between labor market needs as defined by employers and the skills developed by young Macedonians during their formal education.

The Chief of Party Dr. Jan Karpowicz and the Mayor of Tetovo Prof. Dr. Sadi Bexheti signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation on behalf of the USAID YES Network Project and Municipality of Tetovo. This Memorandum will facilitate the functioning of the Council. Tetovo is the second of six municipalities YES is working with to create LESCs.  These Councils will help establish and maintain a public-private dialogue between all community stakeholders interested in local economic activity and youth employment issues.  In addition to municipal representatives, LESC members will include representatives of the employers, workers, civil sector, education, and employment service agencies.

“Tetovo is one of the first municipalities to recognize that the interaction between the private sector, the civil sector, and local authorities is crucial for the creation of relevant local labor market and economic development policies. I hope that this example will be followed by the other municipalities throughout the country and I encourage them to get more involved with the private and civil sectors thus increasing the effectiveness of their efforts to address challenges such as youth unemployment and local economic development,” said U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Philip T. Reeker.  The U.S. Ambassador Paul Wohlers and USAID Mission Director Robert Wuertz attended the event.

The USAID YES Network will help build the LESC’s capacity to engage in productive debate and consultations, thereby delivering locally relevant advice and proposals regarding social and economic change to the Municipality for consideration and implementation.  The LESC held its first Constitutive Session immediately following the signing of the agreement.  

NOTE TO EDITORS: The USAID YES Network is implemented by the Education Development Center, a global nonprofit organization, headquartered in Waltham, MA, and dedicated to enhancing learning and promoting health. The American people, through USAID, have invested over $500 million in Macedonia since 1993. USAID is implementing projects that create jobs, reduce corruption, and prepare Macedonian students for the workforce. These initiatives improve the quality of life and support Macedonia’s transition to a stable and prosperous democracy. USAID provides economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries. For more information please visit http://macedonia.usaid.gov and USAID FB page http://www.facebook.com/USAIDMacedonia.