Report: Skill Gaps and Training Needs in Businesses Creation – N. Macedonia
Executive Summary The field research within the GET YES 2 Project in N. Macedonia was conducted by a team of researchers composed of the Association of Citizens CEFE Macedonia. The research included two target groups: young people aged 15-35 years old and organizations that support entrepreneurs in the country and region. It used the questionnaire set by the project applicant organization, conducted small number of field visits to organizations, and conducted telephone and electronic communications in order to collect the required minimum number of questionnaires in the partner country. Thus, the number of completed electronic questionnaires is 111. It is a small curiosity that young women are more interested in entrepreneurship and business than young man nowadays. Almost two thirds of the respondents are female, at the age of 15 to 35. More than half of the survey participants are secondary school students aged 15 to 18, while the rest of them are mostly university students. This fact speaks volumes that young people are very enthusiastic about participation in training and workshops, and gaining new knowledge and skills beside the traditional education they get in school. Most of the survey participants are young people that are still in the education process, while only a few of them are currently operating their own business. Half of the survey participants stated they have already participated in entrepreneurship training, mainly on lectures and presentation courses as part of the school curriculum. This fact explains the reasons why young people show great interest in training participation and non formal education. Although not many of them have obtained any entrepreneurial competences, 70 % of the respondents declared that their main motivation to obtain new entrepreneurial skills is the idea to open and run their own business. This is a clear indicator that young people nowadays strive to equip them with new skills and entrepreneurial mindset in order to be financially independent in the near future. Another thing to mention is that most of them didn’t have the opportunity to take part in business skills training and workshops, which is due to the fact that there are not enough business skills training on the market the young people can participate or can allow themselves. 67 % of the respondents are planning to establish their own business, while the rest of them are interested in gaining entrepreneurial skills and competences. Regarding the strengths they possess in business establishment are: having a good idea, having competences for business management and having business supporters.
4 GET YES 2 – February/March 2021
