The Minister of Economy and Labor Besar Durmishi addressed the conference "Managing Labor Shortages in Certain Occupations in the Republic of North Macedonia" organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) today.
"The Government, which includes the Ministry of Economy and Labor, and I, as the Minister of Economy and Labor, in the coming period will dedicate ourselves to developing and implementing systemic approach to dealing with the mismatch between the supply and demand of labor on the domestic labor market and overcoming this serious problem that affects even the far more developed European economies," said Minister Durmishi in his address.
According to Minister Durmishi, possessing appropriate knowledge and skills enables greater employability and sustainability of employment. When people have the right knowledge and skills required on the labor market, they can work on quality and sustainable jobs. On the other hand, in conditions of rapidly changing global economy, the possessed knowledge and skills largely determine the competitiveness, capacity for innovation and the readiness of companies to follow technological and other changes in work. When the workforce has the necessary knowledge and skills, investments and the creation of new jobs are encouraged. In this way, it will affect the reduction of the vertical mismatch of skills, which is above 25%, and the horizontal mismatch of skills, which is more pronounced and exceeds 50% in the Republic of North Macedonia.
"We will do our best to ensure that companies' need for qualified labor is met through the implementation of active employment programs contained in the annual Operational Plans for Active Employment Programs and Measures, which refer to various types of training that take place in real working conditions, that is, in the companies. Such are training for a specific employer, training for occupations in demand on the labor market, internships, etc.
In this way, unemployed people will gain practical work experience and skills that are in demand on the labor market and will enable their faster inclusion in the labor market, while on the other hand, companies will have appropriately qualified workers at their disposal," said the Minister, adding that we will have to pay attention to contemporary European trends, which indicate increasing reorientation towards the green and digital economy. Our workforce will also have to be trained and prepared for the future, with a focus on green technologies, sustainable practices and digital solutions, which will be the basis for economic progress and competitiveness.
"To this end, it is necessary to invest in creating inclusive and flexible education system that will follow these trends and enable continuous improvement of existing and future workers. In parallel, we will continue to encourage cooperation between educational institutions and the private sector to develop programs that will realize this goal," said Durmishi in his address.
The Minister emphasized that with this approach we will be able to create a dynamic, modern and competitive labor market, where supply and demand are in balance, and the workforce is prepared to face the challenges of the future. This will ensure long-term economic growth and development, stability of jobs and companies.