USAID AND HELP AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT

2. July 2012.

Belgrade - Representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the German humanitarian aid organization “Help” signed the agreement, under which the implementation of partnership programs to reduce youth unemployment in South Serbia and Sandzak will be extended. USAID is obliged by the agreement to provide training in basic business skills to a group of 259 winners of ”Help” grants to start up production, which amounts to 3, 000 US dollars per person.

Twenty percent of donations will be given to the people who are less than 35 years old. USAID's training will enable students to master basic entrepreneurial skills and the basics of finance, business planning, business management and marketing. Grants will be awarded to future young entrepreneurs from Bujanovac, Vranje, Novi Pazar, Tutin, Prijepolje and Priboj, since unemployment rate in these municipalities often exceeds 40 percent and is almost twice larger than the national average.

Last year, a pilot project was conducted in Bujanovac, Presevo and Vranje, which made it possible for 159 people to open their businesses.