Skopje - Today, the USAID Youth Employability Skills (YES) Network launched new activities in Prilep to help young people gain the necessary skills to participate in a modern and rapidly changing economy. 

The YES Network links Employment Service Agencies (ESAs), secondary schools, and youth-focused non-governmental organizations, to provide students and unemployed youth with career coaching and guidance,  training in soft skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership, and work-based experience such as internships, practical work and summer work. The project will build the capacity of Network members to better connect students and unemployed youth with job opportunities. 

The YES Network will also set up councils, led by local governments, that will bring together employers, educators, NGOs and Municipalities, with the goal of better matching the skills required in the local labor market with those being developed in youth by the educational system.  Strumica, Bitola and Tetovo are the three municipalities where this project began last year. Ultimately, the project will work with ten municipalities across Macedonia. 

NOTES TO EDITORS:   
The project initiated its activities Bitola, Strumica and Tetovo.  Eleven career centers were opened in secondary schools, three job clubs were revitalized in the ESAs, and a Local Economic and Social Council was fully established.  More than 170 teachers, 15 ESA staff and 17 local NGO representatives were trained in how to deliver work readiness skills training and advice to young people.  A total of 850 young people, including secondary school students and registered and unregistered unemployed youth, were provided an important opportunity to become better prepared for finding and staying in a job.  The USAID YES Network is implemented by the Education Development Center, a global nonprofit organization 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.