The trend of a large number of unemployed young people continued in 2023. According to the data of the National Employment Service, the youth unemployment rate during the first quarter of 2023 was around 25%. Summarizing various research findings within the publication of the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network showed that career guidance has positive effects in terms of unemployment prevention, reduction in the number of school leavers, successful transition from lower to higher levels of education as well as in terms of social inclusion. Also, the results of various researches conducted in Serbia showed that after career guidance and counseling services were provided, the employability of young people who used these services was higher in all parameters than the employability of young people who did not use these services, and the effects were visible even 12 months after provided services.

With the aim of improving the employability of young people, the Belgrade Open School (BOŠ) will, in partnership with the National Association of Offices for Youth, implement the project "Cooperation to quality: Available career guidance and counseling services for everyone!".

The project's activities are aimed at improving the competencies of career practitioners, but also at strengthening intersectoral cooperation in local communities. The project promotes the policy of non-formal education of young people in order to acquire practical knowledge and skills and increase the capacity of secondary schools, civil society organizations (CSOs), and youth offices to provide services for young people in the field of career guidance and counseling based on quality standards. Also, the project contributes to empowering young people to make independent career decisions, but also to increase their active participation in society.

As a contribution to the development of the career guidance and counseling system in Serbia, the project will implement the following activities:

- Capacity building trainings for CSOs, youth offices and schools 

- implementation of local CGC activities

- Empowering young people for career management using ICT resources for career guidance and counseling

- CGC Fair - Organizing a public event for the promotion of quality career guidance and counseling services for young people

The implementation of the project is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Youth of the Republic of Serbia, and the activities will be implemented in the period August - December 2023.