Pivara Skopje created a new digital platform that will enable an additional number of young unemployed people, especially those living outside of Skopje, to pass the free of charge training program “Skills for Success” electronically, and in this way to acquire knowledge and skills that will help them overcome obstacles in employment or in starting their own business.

In the first two years of the realization of this program, which has so far been conducted only in the premises of the Educational Center of Pivara Skopje, the training was attended by nearly 1200 young people, 71% of whom are female. With the opportunities offered by the digital platform, it is expected the number of initially planned 5600 people that would be included in the program to be reached very quickly, so that by the end of 2020 it could be twice as high.

“We are extremely satisfied with the results achieved so far from the realization of our “Skills for Success” program. They show that 36% of young people who have already passed the training have already managed to get employed. This result, together with the great interest we get from many young people who want to take part in the program on daily basis, makes us feel satisfied and at the same time encourages us to continue, together with our partners, investing in the development of young people. In this way, we believe that we will create additional opportunities and perspectives for the young people and will contribute to further increasing the employment and development of entrepreneurship in the country”, said the General Manager of Pivara Skopje Vladimir Kosijer.

The implementation of this project of Pivara Skopje is realized in cooperation with the state Employment Agency, which provides constant support, especially in determining the candidates who most need this type of training, with priority being given to young people from the socially vulnerable categories.

“All economic parameters and relevant forecasts indicate that this year we will finish with a record low percentage of total unemployment in the country. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge to work on reducing youth unemployment, which is still high. The implementation of such trainings, which even provide remote learning through a digital internet platform, is compatible with the government’s strategy and measures for further reduction of unemployment, especially among young people. The results achieved so far in this program are extremely important and deserve respect and support from the whole community”, said Minister of Labor and Social Policy Mila Carovska.

Through the new digital platform, as well as with the trainings in the premises of the Educational Center of Pivara Skopje, young people get the opportunity to improve their communication skills, gain knowledge in the field of finance and business, creating development plans and project management, efficient negotiations and sales, as well as organization and effective management of time and resources.

“The overall training, which through the new digital platform becomes available to an even larger number of young people, contains a great deal of practical knowledge and experience in the key areas of business. This knowledge and experience of young people are transferred by the members of the management team of Pivara Skopje and other leading representatives of the business, experts from the academic community, from the public institutions, as well as from renowned international organizations that participate in the implementation of the program, which is certainly a unique value for the participants in the trainings,” says Zoran Kostovski from the business education company Motiva, a partner of Pivara Skopje in the implementation of this project.

The Skills for Success Program is just one segment of the activities of the Educational Center of Pivara Skopje which has been operating since 1997. For the results in the field of business education and its social contribution so far, the Educational Center of Pivara Skopje has received several awards, among which the National Award for Socially Responsible Practices in the category Investing in the Community. The Center is a member of the European Council for Business Education based in Geneva, Switzerland.