The first virtual job fair in Serbia, which was organised by the National Employment Service (NES) with assistance from the global programme “Migration for Development” (PME), was held on 20 May 2021 via a modern online platform that enabled the 7,500 registered participants to get in touch with representatives from 70 companies. Over half of those taking part were women, and more than 1,500 visitors were returnees. Around 2,800 jobs were on offer at the fair, mostly in engineering, mechanical engineering and information and communication technology, but also in crafts such as tailoring and sewing or in sales, translation and production.

The PME's far-reaching conceptual and logistical support for the NES and an extensive publicity campaign resulted in satisfied partners and an unprecedented success in terms of attendees. The fair was fully booked. The COVID-19 pandemic meant that all the advantages of the digital format, which is an integral part of the digitisation of Serbian government services, were fully exploited.

Services specifically for hard-to-reach groups

There were also three different online seminars running in parallel to the main programme. These seminars enriched the fair with content such as “How do I survive a job interview?” and “My rights when establishing a working relationship”, which is particularly relevant to groups that are difficult to integrate into the labour market,. These online seminars were attended by more than 2,500 participants.

The PME worked together with a local NGO (non-governmental organisation) to ensure the inclusion of members of vulnerable groups, especially returnees to Serbia. It has a close network, and supported the efforts of the NES branch to attract these target groups to participate. This included the NGO organising information events in the local communities, and referring anyone interested to the German Information Centre on Migration, Training and Employment (DIMAK Serbia). The NGO also provided break-out areas with hotspots on the day of the fair, and organised individual support regarding participation.