O EK: Disturbing lack of qualified workers

The lack of an unqualified workforce remains among the biggest challenges facing the private sector.

So said at the business forum “The loss of the qualified workforce, a challenge to businesses”, organised by the Kosovo Economic Oda in co-operation with the German GIZ organisation.

O Chairman EK, Safet Gerjaliu said the issue posed one of the biggest challenges for the country.

“We are dealing with the lack of unqualified workforce, as an honor to the biggest challenges facing the private sector in Kosovo... As OEK we have seen a dialogue a partnership with others. We have five strategic targets towards the future, all of these targets start with the E letter. The first is Europe, education, economy, environmentalism and experience. I believe that in this regard we must jointly understand that in order to achieve these educational objectives, it has a complex role. To inherit a slightly different approach from the past, when we have been taught by telling us that a state's assets are natural assets, but in the century of economics, in dynamic times of innovation, it is seen that a state's main resource and future sustainability guarantee is education”, he said.

Meanwhile, Besim Mustafa, who presented the results of research with several companies, said close to 80 per cent of companies have difficulty finding qualified workers and that it is disturbing.

Research also results that the country's educational system leaves much to be desired and that 93 percent of respondents think the educational system should change, as it has failed to bring out students prepared for the job market.

“About 50 percent are those who find it very difficult to find qualified workers. It is just as difficult and extremely difficult as 15 percent is, and when we make it together very difficult and extremely difficult, 80 percent of the companies have difficulty finding qualified workers. We consider it to be disturbing not only for companies but for institutions and policymakers in Kosovo, to address this concern amounting to about 80 percent of companies”, he said.

Labour and Social Management Minister Skender Recica said businesses, young people, but even institutions, have a lot of work to do and there are many things that need to be adjusted in order for market needs to be addressed properly.

We face a major challenge resulting from the current unemployment rate and continued growth of working age populations. So far we continue to have lower employment and higher unemployment rates in the Western Balkan region. Young people's participation in the job market is not at the desired level. It remains the lowest in the region and is still far from the EU-reaching values. The youth unemployment rate is twice as high as the country's overall unemployment rate and sometimes higher than that of young people in the EU. Even more disturbing is the fact that about 1/3 of our young people are neither employed, neither are they involved in education nor in training”, he said.

Minister of innovation and entrepreneurship Besim Beqaj said Kosovo has many qualified people, but lacks professional competence.

“The reality is, something's not working. I've heard more of an address to the academy, colleges, I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle is not black and white, the truth is in the middle. Over the years, I have been trying to communicate with businesses. Why is the truth in the middle, one of the serious problems that is in Kosovo's economy, is the family management of business. We don't usually have professional computer bearing here. Family management goes from one generation to the second generation. In the third generation it doesn't work... We have qualified people, the qualifications means getting documents, but there is no professional competence of people. The professional component is that they know on the basis of the letters they received. So it's probably going to allow a little bit of focus because we have a lot more graduate people, but their competence, but their preparation isn't what it's supposed to be, say, one.

Meanwhile Bajram Hasani, minister of trade and industry, asked the Ministry of Education to examine policies in education and to be instructed in professional schools.

Ilir Rexha, senior adviser to GIZ, said lack of labour force is among the main challenges for all businesses. While he said it is time for the issue to be addressed./S. Bird/