3.7 Cross-border mobility in employment, entrepreneurship and vocational opportunities
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Programmes and schemes for cross-border mobility
In the Republic of North Macedonia, there are no special schemes or programs to support young people working abroad or initiating their own business abroad.
However, several laws regulate the agencies that mediate the employment of Macedonian citizens abroad. But it is important to note that the laws are general, with the scope of all citizens and do not affect exclusively young people.
In terms of vocational opportunities National Agency for European Educational Programmes and Mobility, under the Key Action 1 Programme offers vocational traineeships for apprentices and students in initial vocational training.
Legal framework
Pursuant to the Law on Employment and Insurance in Case of Unemployment (Закон за вработување и осигурување во случај на невработеност), mediation for employment in the country and abroad is carried out by the "Employment Mediation Agency" registered as a private agency for mediation for employment in the country and abroad. The Agency shall perform the mediation free of charge and shall be administered impartially, under conditions and in a manner determined by law.
In 2018, the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia passed the Law on Private Employment Agencies (Закон за приватните агенции за обезбедување), which also regulates mediation in the employment of a Macedonian citizens abroad. The law stipulates that mediation for employment abroad is carried out on the basis of a previously concluded agreement between the private employment agency with a license for mediation for employment abroad and the potential employer from abroad. The Employment Mediation Agency organizes an employment interview between the employer and the job applicant who applied for employment through the private employment agency. If certain conditions specified in the contract are not met, the person who is sent to work abroad is entitled to appropriate compensation.[1]
The Law on Labor Records (Закон за евиденциите во областа на трудот) prescribes the manner of keeping records of citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia working abroad. Thus, Art. 29 stipulates that in the records for the Macedonian citizens who are employed abroad, data are entered for the Macedonian citizens who went to work abroad with or without mediation of the Agency and data on the workers sent by employers to work abroad for the purpose of performing investment works abroad.
[1] Law on Employment and Insurance in Case of Unemployment (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia, No. 112 dated 25.07.2014), Art. 26a http://www.mtsp.gov.mk/content/pdf/trud_2017/pravilnici/16,11-%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%9E%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B3%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%9A%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%9D%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82.pdf (Accessed November, 15, 2018)