The third meeting of the Work Group for the regulation of internships was carried out on the 19th of October, 2021 in the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. Around 30 government, international organizations, trade unions, employer associations, and civil society organization representatives were present at the meeting.

During the meeting, the economic Ex-ante Analysis for the regulation of internships in Serbia, as well as the first draft version of the Law on Internships were presented. Experts from the Faculty of Economy at the University of Belgrade created the ex-ante analysis.

The conducted analysis pointed out that the numerous studies highlighted positive effects of internships on the labor market, as well as many benefits for interns, employers, and the state if the legal framework for internships was established. Many questions were raised during the meeting, such as: should young people (15-30 years old) be the only group which can apply for internships, what are the concrete benefits for employers to employ persons without work experience, should young people be given the Work Contract or should they be employed outside of the work-relation, etc.

During the meeting, the first draft version of the Law on Internships was presented. The Law should regulate aspects such as employment, mentorship, the duration of internships which can enable the intern to, through work, learning, and training gain experience, knowledge, and skills relevant to the labor market. Other aspects of internships, such as rights and obligations of both sides (interns and employers) should be regulated with this law.

In the following period, the discussion on the viable solution for the legal regulation of internships will be continued. The regulation of internships is important so the misuses can be prevented and the quality of internships can be secured. The previous research and analyses conducted by BOS emphasized these aspects, as well as, the widespread consultation process for an adequate solution is needed.