Occupations and skills most demanded by
enterprises – the case of South Serbia
Galjina Ognjanov,
Faculty of Economics – University of Belgrade
Valli Corbanese,
International Labour Organisation
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Topics
 Economic and social context in South Serbia
 Occupational skills survey
 Methodology
 Findings
 Problems
 Conclusions and implications
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Four districts in South Serbia
13.2% of territory
14.4 % of population (1 mil)
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Economic and social context in South Serbia
 A challenging labour market situation
 lower employment and higher unemployment rates
than the national average
 wages approximately 20 % lower than those paid in
other regions
 lower skills levels: higher shares of the population
with primary or less than primary educational
attainment
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Economic and social context in South Serbia
Table 1: Unemployment in South Serbia
Total unemployment
Unemployment rate
Serbia
649,155
22.9
Jablanicki
17,064
16.8
Nisavski
38,176
26.9
Pcinjski
22,476
24.8
Pomoravski
21,745
24.2
Source: Republic Statistical Office (RSO), Labour Force Survey, 2010
Table 2: Average gross and net salaries in South Serbia (Serbian Dinars, 2010)
Gross salaries
Net salaries
Serbia
47,450
34,142
Percentage
national gross
salary
100
Pomoravski
38,713
28,367
81.6
Nisavski
39,488
28,513
83.2
Jablanicki
36,089
25,969
76.1
Pcinjski
36,302
26,118
76.5
Source: Republic Statistical Office (RSO), http://webrzs.stat.gov.rs
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Occupational skills survey
Main purpose:
identifying the economic sectors, occupations and skills most
demanded by enterprises
Carried out:
February 2011, Republican Statistical office
Supported by:
YEM (MDG Fund) and PBUILD (Gov. Sweden, Norway and
Switzerland)
Background:
2009 Occupations and Skills Survey in Serbia (YEM, MDGF)
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Occupational skills survey
 Job creation and job destruction among enterprises




and entrepreneurs
Trends in workforce recruitment
Skills of the workforce and training practices
Cooperation with the National Employment Service
Conclusions and policy implications
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Methodology
 A total of 666 enterprises and 487 entrepreneurs (i.e.




unincorporated businesses) surveyed
Sample frame of 5,267 enterprises and 8,073
unincorporated businesses generated at country level by
cross-referencing the records of the business register and
of the tax administration
Stratified random sampling procedure (by district,
enterprise size class and economic sector)
Instrument based on ISCO 2008, allows deriving
occupational skills need from international classification
Administered by phone
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Findings: Skills of the workforce and training
practices
 Occupations most likely
to create new jobs in
South Serbia (short t0
medium term) mapped
according to:
occupations creating jobs
in last 12 months
current vacancies
occupations to create jobs
in the next 12 months
Sales
occupations
Clerical
occupations
Food
preparation
occupations
Machine
operators
and
assemblers
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Findings: Skills of the workforce and training
practices
Vocational skills groups
needed
Sales skills
Administration,
accounting and
computer
literacy skills
Manual skills
(food
preparation)
Manual skills
(manufacturing)
Higher skills occupations
to be needed
Engineering
skills
Management
skills
Skills listed according to
International Standard
Classification of Occupations
(ISCO) 2008
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Findings: Skills of the workforce and training
practices
 The strategies to overcome skills deficits are mainly
increasing training and recruitment.
 Most enterprises provided training to their workers
Training is generally short and mostly organized and
financed by the enterprise itself.
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Findings: Skills of the workforce and training
practices
Figure 1. Most frequently used training
providers among job creating enterprises in
last 12 months
Figure 2. Models of financing trainings in
enterprises in Southern Serbia by districts
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Findings: Skills of the workforce and training
practices
Figure 3. Most frequently used training
providers among job creating entrepreneurs
in last 12 months
Figure 4. Models of financing trainings at
entrepreneurs in Southern Serbia by
districts
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Findings: Skills of the workforce and training
practices
Who receives training?
 Enterprises prefer to invest in workers with higher
initial skills levels rather than in low-skilled workers
(The general trend found in other neighbouring
countries and EU confirmed).
 The age group 25 to 45 years old is most likely to
receive trainings.
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Problems
 The major problem with regards to conducting the
establishment survey (Occupational skills needs
survey) is derived from a low ability of responding
enterprises/entrepreneurs to communicate the skills
needs (Occupations and Skills Survey 2009)
 The problem was overcome by using ISCO 2008
which leads to more difficult data analysis and
interpretation (especially generalization) of findings
(Occupational skills survey 2011)
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Conclusions and implications
The improvement of the skills
base of the workforce, should
be given priority.
 More and better labour
market training programmes
needed.
 Active labour market policy
package offered by the
National Employment Service
(NES).
 Clear indications for the
design and targeting of
employment programmes in
terms of:

1) enterprise size class (micro and
small enterprises),
2) economic sectors (trade,
manufacturing and, to a lesser
extent, construction and
professional services)
3) occupations (sales assistants;
office and bookkeeping clerks;
bakers, butchers and food
preparers; and machine tools
operators) and
4) the skills most likely to create
jobs in the short and mediumterm.
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Conclusions and implications
 The Occupational Skills survey should be conducted on
regular basis (annually).
 In Serbia it is planned to be integrated within Job
Vacancy Survey aligned to the relevant European Union
(EU) regulations and standards (Regulation No
453/2008 of 23 April 2008;Commission Regulations No
1062/2008 of 28 October 2008 and No 19/2009 of 13
January 2009).
 The data should be shared with other important
stakeholders, in particular public and private educational
institutions providing general education, vocational
trainings, adult education, life-long learning.
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011
Thank you
for
attention!
Occupational Skills
Survey 2011: Key
findings in South Serbia
RCC Conference: New Skills for New Jobs in the Western Balkans, Sarajevo, 27-28 October, 2011