Croatia approved 1.8 billion euros for youth employment

The European Commission today adopted the national Operational Programme for the Implementation of the European Social Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative in Croatia, Croatian media report, as stated by the BH News Agency Patria.

The programme aims to contribute to job creation and strengthening social cohesion in the country, with a total value of 1.849 billion euros, of which 1.582 billion is secured from the EU budget, including 66 million euros from the Youth Employment Initiative.

The European Social Fund (ESF) plays a key role in supporting Member States in investing in human capital development, and thus in strengthening the competitiveness of the European economy during the exit from the crisis. The ESF helps more than fifteen million people improve their qualifications each year, facilitates their integration into the labour market, combats social exclusion and poverty, and improves the efficiency of public administration.

Meanwhile, until funds from European sources are withdrawn, Croatia finances measures from the state budget, and when the money arrives, the state will refund the expenses.

Measures such as employment without employment contracts, self-employment, employment of assistants for children with disabilities, and various others are already being implemented under the Youth Guarantee. From the beginning of next year, the compensation for employment without an employment contract will increase from 1600 kuna to 2400 kuna, along with a number of incentives for employers. The measure of employment without an employment contract has so far been used by 8,000 young people, of whom 60 percent have remained employed. This is the only measure that the public sector can use. Measures also include training young people for entrepreneurship, training for so-called "green jobs" and the IT sector.