Marko is the voice of the youth from the region: We asked him how to find a job and build a career

Serbia has a representative in the Governing Board of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), and his name is Marko Kostic, who already has a successful career.

In an interview with Telegraf Biznis, Marko explains the importance of RYCO, what he does in that organization, but also how he managed to become a member. He talks about his journey and work experience in giants like Deutsche Telekom, praises Macron, but also reveals what young people should work on today in order to walk the path of success.

"The world is a global village and it is necessary to motivate young people to build and work for the entire region and the world from their homes or countries,  thanks to the digital transformation of society. You can start your own business in your country, you can bring changes to the business world and you can only represent your country if you work every day to be better than yesterday," he tells us, among other things.

• You are Serbia's representative in RYCO, how did you get to that position? Which conditions did you have to meet?

- In July 2019, the Government of Serbia appointed me as the youth representative of Serbia in the Governing Board of RYCO. The government made the decision based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and organizations representing young people in Serbia.

One of the main conditions for this position was experience in the youth sector of at least three years, as well as knowledge of English, considering that is the working language of RYCO. Taking into account that during my undergraduate studies I was a student vice-dean, i.e., a student representative of the Faculty of Political Sciences, as well as that I was engaged in projects in the field of youth and regional policy, I fulfilled the formal requirements for the position.

Certainly, the work experience from the United Nations, Deutsche Telekom and the City Council was of great importance when applying for this position.

• What is RYCO?

- At the EU-Western Balkans summit held in Paris in 2016, the prime ministers of the Western Balkans Six signed an agreement to establish the Regional Office for Youth Cooperation. RYCO is an independent institutional mechanism that started operating in 2017 and represents one of the most successful results of the Berlin Process.

The main goals of this intergovernmental organization include promotion of mobility and exchange between young people in the Western Balkans, as well as promotion of a series of activities aimed at reconciliation and strengthening regional cooperation. RYCO's goals are achieved through the financing and implementation of projects that address these goals.

Stereotypes and prejudices that exist among young people in the Western Balkans could be overcome through RYCO projects and that is why it is crucial that young people from the region meet, exchange experiences and make friends through various social, cultural, educational and sports activities.

RYCO believes that young people from the region are the drivers of change in society and for this reason the principle of co-management is applied within the Governing Board of the organization. This principle shows that the voice of young people is valued as much as the voice of government representatives and, more importantly, the principle of co-management enables young people to decide on issues that concern them.

The organization operates with the unreserved support of all the governments in the Western Balkans, of Germany and France, as well as with support of other international partners such as the EU, UN, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, OSCE, GIZ, SIDA and many others.

I have the pleasure of representing young people from Serbia in the Governing Board.

• Which projects have you worked on within the organization?

- First of all, I would like to point out that RYCO has financed and supported 112 projects since its establishment. We have invested over 2,800,000 euros in youth exchange programs while 338 civil society organizations and schools have implemented, or are currently implementing, projects funded by RYCO and our partners.

I will mention three interesting projects that are in the process of implementation with regional partners or that will be implemented in the coming period.

In May, a project agreement was signed with GIZ and the European Commission, thanks to which in the next three years 200 schools from the Western Balkans will have the opportunity to cooperate, organize study visits and give young people the opportunity to get to know other parts of the Western Balkans and their peers.

Through this project, great attention will be paid to the training of educators in high schools on topics that RYCO deals with.

The RISE project is intended for young social entrepreneurs from the region and through the project we support young entrepreneurs in developing their ideas about social entrepreneurship.

The goal of the project is to work on inter-cultural learning and reconciliation through entrepreneurship. The ROUTE WB6 project will enable the creation of a regional volunteer network, but also work on advocacy to change and harmonize the legal framework related to volunteering in the region, in each of the contracting parties.

This year, the project will open three calls for young volunteers from the Western Balkans who will have the opportunity to volunteer in all six RYCO members.

• Digitization is the focus in the Western Balkans, what would you stress in that sense, and is any country a leader in digital transformation?

- The Western Balkans and especially Serbia have made a clear and thorough step forward in digitization and thus for the first time took us to an equal starting line with the rest of the world. Laws have been modernized, public services and data is available to citizens through institutions. Digitization is not a territorial issue and is one of the preconditions for the development of the Western Balkans.

In this age, when the pandemic has contributed to an even greater degree of digitization, young people need to be provided with conditions for acquiring digital literacy because it will bring new experiences for our generation, modern and efficient education and employment.

One of the primary conditions is infrastructure such as procurement of IT equipment as well as construction of modern science and technology parks that can become places of gathering and exchange of experiences for young and innovative people from all over the region.

Serbia is making great efforts and has received praise from the head of the department for digital government of the UN for persistence in the digital transformation of Serbia, we are investing in our schools' equipment, but we are also opening data centers and technology parks throughout Serbia.

I also believe that the entire region of the Western Balkans is investing in digital transformation in accordance with their capabilities, since digital transformation represents a chance for the region's development in the coming period.

• When you worked for companies like Deutsche Telekom, what trends are there, when it comes to digital products?

- You ask me about Deutsche Telekom, precisely there the leaders are open-minded, educated, people with strong ideas, imagination and plans. Their plan is to educate ourselves, heal, travel in a world where we have digitization as a shield and a spaceship to success. Let's not forget that chapters separate us from the EU, but the strategy of digitization of the EU and the Balkans can be read from the same book.

Our continent needs us all because our use of the internet prepares AI for future preparations, analyses, and ultimately the defense of our way of life.

Deutsche Telekom recently launched the FutureProof campaign, and within it, an application of the same name was presented, which will help young people find their ideal profession.

The app allows young people to discover their talents but will also provide them with useful tips to prepare them for the job market.

• How hard is it for young people to reach similar positions? What is your advice, what needs to be worked on, what are the conditions?

- If you are committed, persistent and set specific goals for yourself, it is possible to achieve them. Therefore, you need constant improvement on a personal and professional level, pro-active approach and striving towards something you love.

I will give you a personal example. Although I studied international relations at the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade and the Faculty of Social Sciences in Leuven, and then completed a master's degree in European Studies at the University of Bonn, my love for sports motivated me to study academically in this field - but also to one day work in the sports industry.

I defended my second master's thesis in sports management on the topic of Deutsche Telekom's engagement in sports through sponsorships and during the writing of the paper I met and conducted a series of interviews on sports sponsorship with eminent experts in this field, as well as with well-known athletes.

Some of them are: Stephan Althoff, director of corporate sponsorships of Deutsche Telekom, then Christopher Axer, sales director at FIFA and Oliver Jung from the same organization, then Frank Leenders, director of media and marketing at FIBA ​​and Zoran Radovic, director of national federations and sports director at FIBA.

In Germany, I visited Jonathan Webster, Borussia Dortmund's director of global partnerships, while in Amsterdam I spoke with the captain of the Serbian national football team and Ajax footballer, Dusan Tadic.

In Belgrade, I had the opportunity to exchange opinions with Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Uros Pribicevic, as well as with Professor Andrej Milutinovic, one of the world's best recognized experts in the field of preparation and recovery of athletes.

I also owe great gratitude to our legendary athlete, now a professor, Dragan Zivotic, who was the president of the commission for my master's thesis.

• Did you have a mentor on that road, and how important are they for young leaders?

- Of course, it is of great importance to have a person who will be your mentor and who will help you develop on a professional and personal level. During my engagement at the United Nations, Deutsche Telekom, but also in the Regional Youth Cooperation Office, I was lucky to cooperate with top experts and great people.

One of the people who had a great influence on my career, but also on my personal development, is Borislav Tadic, currently the senior vice president of Deutsche Telekom in charge of technology, in the area of ​​northern Germany. Given that we have had a similar development path, his thesis is that constant work, training but also patience play an important role in young people's careers.

• Considering that you already have corporate experience, what made you turn a little more towards diplomacy?

- As a graduate political scientist for international relations, it has always been my dream to represent my country at the international level. The current function I perform for me is a big role but also an obligation. Although I spent a certain period of my career in the corporate world, but also in international organizations, I always believed that in the future I would represent my country and represent its interests, as well as the interests of young people from Serbia.

I am honored to be the voice of young people and to connect through RYCO with talented people with whom we are building a more stable and successful region of the Western Balkans through various projects.

• Is it possible to build a career in this region, or is it after all necessary to go abroad?

- It is absolutely possible to build a career in Serbia, but also abroad. I think that it is good to travel and get an education in different places in the world, but also to invest all that knowledge and experience in the development of your own country. I decided to invest the knowledge I gained at the University of Belgrade, but also at European universities, in building a platform that connects people and ultimately contributes to a stronger and better business ecosystem in the region. It's important that you are happy in the place you choose as your home.

• When it comes to the organization you work for, what is it that you face the most on the ground, what problems do young people have, what do they ask you?

- The world is a global village and it is necessary to motivate young people to build and work for the entire region and the world from their homes or countries, thanks to the digital transformation of  society. You can start your own business in your country, you can make a difference in the business world, and you can only represent your country if you work every day to be better than the previous because in every country there is room for the best and those ready to be innovative enough in the era of digitization, to step out, ask, learn.

Different things bother a young person today, but they must not perceive them as insurmountable walls, but quickly overcome them and move on.

Some of the problems that young people face are uncertainty about employment, but also the impossibility of getting a job in their chosen profession.

Also, in talking with young people, I can notice that they think that education is theoretical, and that we need practical learning about skills. Volunteering and non-formal education can play a key role in this case, as it can provide young people with preparation and a ticket to enter the business world.

Young people also need to be involved in decision-making processes, i.e. to be responsible for making decisions that affect them. Preserving mental health of young people, especially during a pandemic, should be one of the priorities of everyone in society. For that reason, I would like to welcome the recently launched campaign of the Hemofarm Foundation for the Preservation of Mental Health.

• How has Covid affected young people in the Western Balkans, do you have that data?

- Unfortunately, the pandemic has negatively affected all spheres of social life and all generations, so the current situation has had a negative impact on young people in Serbia and the region.

Through regular consultations with young people in the Western Balkans, my colleagues and I have identified several key areas that require joint action and response from all relevant actors in overcoming the disadvantageous situation that young people in the region are in.

Considering the consequences of the pandemic, we addressed the governments of the Western Balkans with a statement, but also other relevant stakeholders regarding the current situation. First of all, we appealed to RYCO contracting parties to always take into account the interests of young people when reshaping and adapting the educational processes during a pandemic.

Then, we encourage the contracting parties to create policies that will address the problem of rapid growth of youth unemployment. Last but not least, we called on all relevant actors to enable young people to participate in decision-making processes as well as to address the issue of mental health during the crisis, with special reference to its negative effects on young people.

• Can young people here share the same values like in the EU, and do you advocate for that?

- Young people from the Western Balkans share EU values ​​and RYCO is the guarantor of those through its activities. The organization promotes values ​​that contribute to respect of human rights, promotion of diversity and democratic values, as well as promotion of regional cooperation and mobility, tolerance, inter-cultural learning and solidarity among young people.

The very fact that the agreement to establish RYCO was signed within the Berlin Process and that RYCO is the most successful story of the mentioned process is proof that the organization is committed to, and promoting EU values...

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(Telegraf Bizinis)