School-to-Work Transition for Higher education students with disabilities in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina Erasmus Project

Project Title

School-to-Work Transition for Higher education students with disabilities in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Capacity Building in higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics:

Project Summary

The Trans2Work project is designed as complementary with “Equal Access for All -Strengtheningthe Social Dimension for a Stronger European Higher Education Area” (EquiED)(http://www.equied.ni.ac.rs/en/) in SR and “Support and Inclusion of SwDs at Higher Education inMontenegro” (SINC@HE) (http://sinche.uom.gr/) in ME and “Equal Opportunities for StudentsWith Special Needs in Higher Education” (EQOPP) (http://www.eqopp.ba/) in BiH. The aforementioned projects have been designed to improve the equal access, inclusion and support of prospective and current students with disability (SwD) at HEIs in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Taken into consideration the specific objectives of these 3 projects, the proposed project is a follow up and complementary based on the assumption that SwD often experience limited access to and success within postsecondary and higher education programs which subsequently limits their employment. Thus, Trans2Work links the outcomes from the aforementioned projects and makes the next step by preparing SwD to meet the needs of the labor market after their graduation. This project proposal completely addresses regional priorities for JP in Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, concretely the priority “Developing the Higher Education sector within society at large, University-enterprise cooperation, entrepreneurship and employability of graduates”. All three partner countries (PC) have done a lot for persons with disability (PwD) on the legislative level. I.e. ratified UN Convention on the Rights of PwD and adopted laws such as the Law on Prevention of Discrimination Against PwD both providing framework for right to education and employment/work for PwD. Almost all universities at partner countries have career centers and for those that have not the already established centers for students with disability from aforementioned projects have been included within the Trans2Work project.The associations of individuals with disability and the employment agencies in three partnercountries are actively involved in supporting PwD to find an appropriate job and some, i.e. inSerbia, developed programs for employment of PwD and specialized services both for PwD andfor employers.Although there is a good background and some common good developed strategies there are a lotof differences that are making the mobility among partner countries not easy and in a lot of casesthe implementation of those policies are still inefficient and not practically linked. A review onreports and literature focusing on the transition from HE to work life in the 3 partner countries has showed a lack of research data and information. Generally employers are skeptical about thepossibility of hiring PwD since their concern relates to the ability of PwD to carry out theiremployment responsibilities. Important factor for positive change in the attitude of employers is the level of education of PwD. Furthermore gathering statistical information to build up a clear picture of the situation of PwD within the labor market is particularly difficult. This is due in part to the fact that partner countries do not carry out regular or consistent surveys on the employment situation of PwD at the HE level. Comparison of the situation at EU level is further complicated by the fact that each partner country has its own system for defining the population with disability. Aim of the project is to improve the quality and relevance of school to work transition of HE SwD in RS and ME and BiH. Main objectives are to (a) upgrade and prepare HEIs services to support SwD to their transition from HE to Work following the EU policies, (b) link HE to “disability friendly” work environments, (c) assimilate transition opportunities and skills with EU practices and policies and (d) to prepare employers on understanding the needs of employees with disabilities in order to offer new jobs.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 995333 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF MACEDONIA & Country: EL

Project Partners

• VISOKOSKOLSKA USTANOVA METROPOLITANUNIVERZITET U BEOGRADU
• UDRUZENJE STUDENATA SA HENDIKEPOM
• NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE
• UNIJA CACAK 2000 ASSOCIATION
• JAVNA USTANOVA UNIVERZITET CRNE GORE PODGORICA
• UDRUZENJE MLADIH SA HENDIKEPOM CRNEGORE PODGORICA
• ZAVOD ZA ZAPOSLJAVANJE CRNE GORE