Vocational Trainings as a Tool for more Sustainable Employment in Republic of Kosovo: Gender Issues in Employment

As Kosovo is moving to the market economy, the matching of its human capital should lead to the more skill-based labour participants when they enter the labour market, in order to match with the market needs. This paper aims to show the main factors of the labour market of Kosovo regarding gender, and the possibilities of improving the level of unemployment through vocational training. Republic of Kosovo has marked employment imbalance regarding gender, with the very low participation rates of women in the labour force, this was evident shown in the first years of transition Labour force participation and the level of employment has been low, and unemployment high. In 2002, labour force participation rate in Kosovo was 41.3 %, with male participation rate at 56 % and women participation rate at only 27 %. From the data of the recent Labour Force Survey (2012) after ten years we find that the level of activity rate of women of working age is even lower, only one-in-five (17.8% ) women of working age are active in the labour market. There are also large gender differences throughout the labour market. Among those in the labour force, unemployment is much higher for women than it is for men (40.0% compared to 28.1% ). Methodology used in this paper is based on the comparative analysis and interpretation of the available data from the Labour force Surveys conducted in Kosovo and also reports from World Bank and other governmental organizations (UNICEF, MLSW, ILO etc) during the last 10 years of transition. Women in Republic of Kosovo that are employed similarly to the ones in other transition countries are concentrated in education and caring activities. The disadvantages of the past and the persisting gender inequalities, call for policy implications of gender mainstreaming throughout the policy making and implementing of those policies that were adopted. A job creation policy targeting women may increase possibilities of the productive work and the possibility of creating jobs. It is also important to address not only gender inequalities in the labour market, but also related issues to education, with increasing level of unskilled jobseekers. Since this targeted group has the highest level of unemployment, vocational trainings in developing skills for employment in small and medium enterprises and family businesses are very important in new employment opportunities.