Mladi Romi iz srednje i istočne Europe su posebno ranjiva kategorija na tržištu rada. Prema podacima Europske agencije za temeljna prava, glavni faktori koji utječu na ograničen pristup obrazovanju i radnim mjestima, a koji pogađaju mlade Rome su: geografski položaj, odnosno život u udaljenim ruralnim područjima, stambena segregacija, tj. život u etničkim zajednicama koje žive na izoliranim područjima, loši životni uvjeti, siromaštvo i diskriminacija po osnovi boje kože, nacionalne pripadnosti i vjeroispovjesti.

Romi koji uspiju pronaći posao usprkos tim strukturalnim preprekama vrlo uspješno obavljaju jednostavnije poslove koji pružaju malo mogućnosti za učenje i razvoj karijere. Poslodavci često izrabljuju Rome i varaju ih s isplatama plaća zbog nedovoljne zaštite radnika.

Nedavno su mnogi mediji u Bugarskoji izvjestili o stotinama Roma koji rade u nehumanim uvjetima na polju trešanja u blizini Bobovog dola, 70 km južno od Sofije. Radnici, pretežno romske nacionalnosti među kojima ima i djece, mjesecima su živjeli u improviziranim plastičnim šatorima bez pristupa toaletima ili tekućoj vodi, a plaćeni su svega 16 euro centa po kilogramu ubranih trešanja.

Nažalost, takvi primjeri nisu iznimke, već uobičajena praksa kada je riječ o zapošljavanju Roma. Nedostatak strategije i istinske volje Vlade za unapređivanjem vještina mladih Roma, na kraju cijelo društvo čini nesretnim. Duboko ukorijenjena diskriminacija Roma u srednjoj i istočnoj Europi često je formirana na neutemeljenom narativu o "lijenosti" Roma. Pa ipak, činjenice su prilično jasne - uglavnom zbog antiromske ksenofobije i svog ekonomskog statusa, Romi nemaju iste mogućnosti kao većina drugih ljudi. Mnogi Romi se cijelog života osjećaju nepoželjno zbog neprihvaćanja na koje nailaze još kao djeca u školskoj dobi, a kasnije tokom života na radnim mjestima. Ta neprihvaćanja kasnije rezultiraju time da se Rome okrivljuje zbog svoje isključenosti.

Nepotrebno je napomenuti kako veća stopa nepismenosti i nezaposlenosti u već industrijaliziranim društvima dovodi do viših stopa kriminala i općeg društvenog propadanja. Time se još jednom pokazuje kako problemi Roma nikada nisu izolirani problem koji se tiču isključivo Roma. Stoga, rješenje mora proizići iz društva u cjelini.

Svjetski dan vještina mladih zgodna je prilika da se istakne jedan od najvažnijih alata za poboljšanje položaja Roma – osnaživanje mladih Roma ulaganjem u njihovo znanje i vještine.

 

 

 

 

About sixteen percent of the global population is estimated to be aged 15 to 24 years – this represents around 1.6 billion people. The active involvement of young people in public life, economy, and research is crucial for the development of the world. However, youngsters are three times more likely to be unemployed than older people and they often have to deal with lower quality jobs, increasing labor market inequalities, and longer and more insecure school-to-work transitions. The World Youth Skills Day observed by the UN aims at addressing these issues and putting them into a wide debate about the future of the global economy.

Roma youngsters in Central and Eastern Europe are particularly vulnerable on the labor market. According to data presented by the European Fundamental Rights Agency, the main factors behind Romani’s limited access to education and jobs are: geographical obstacles such as living in remote rural areas, residential segregation, i.e. living in ethnically isolated areas, low living conditions, poverty status, harassment based on ethnicity, and discrimination because of skin color, ethnic origin, religion, or religion.

The Roma who manage to find work despite these structural disadvantages are very performing elementary jobs which provide little opportunity for learning and career development. Roma are frequently exploited by their employers and cheated with their pay due to a lack of labor protection.

Just recently, a scandal erupted in Bulgaria as various media outlets alarmed at unhuman working conditions for hundreds of Roma who work at a cherry field near Bobov dol, 70km south of Sofia. The Roma workers, including children, were living for months in hand-made plastic tents with no access to regular toilets or running water. They were payed 16 euro cents per kilogram of picked cherries.

Such examples are unfortunately not exceptions but rather the norm when it comes to Roma employment. The lack of genuine governmental strategy and will for advancing the skills of young Roma does eventually result in misfortune for the society as a whole. The deeply rooted discrimination against Roma in Central and Eastern Europe is often whitewashed by the baseless narrative about Roma’s “laziness”. Yet, the facts are rather clear – Roma do not have the same opportunities as most other people, mostly due to anti-Roma xenophobia, but also because of their economic status. From primary school to the job market, many Roma are permanently made to feel unwelcome and are later blamed for the results of their exclusion.

Needless to mention, higher illiteracy and unemployment rates in already industrialized societies lead to higher crime rates and a general societal decay. This comes to demonstrate, once again, that Roma problems are never just problems of Roma alone. Therefore, the solutions have to cover society as a whole.

The World Youth Skills Day is a good occasion to underline one of the most important tools for betterment of Roma’s situation – the empowerment of Roma youngsters through investment in their knowledge and skills.