From June 1 to 3, 2023, a seminar entitled "Problems of youth employment and social life of young workers - impact and consequences of the coronavirus pandemic" was held in Zagreb/Croatia. The seminar was organized by HKD Napredak (Hrvatsko kulturno društvo Napredak), with the support of EZA and funding from the European Union.
The seminar was attended by representatives of workers’ organizations from 10 different European countries, including the host country.
Although the topic of the seminar was related to the problems and consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, this year's seminar was held after the announcement of the official end of the coronavirus pandemic. Apart from the fact that it was a good basis for a detailed analysis of what this crisis caused, this fact enabled the seminar to take place as it was before the pandemic, which in any case contributed to better communication and exchange of experiences.
At the beginning of the seminar, the attendees were greeted by Ph.D.Sc. Nikola Čiča, president of Napredak, who expressed his special satisfaction that Napredak, as a member of EZA, is the organizer of this international seminar for the tenth time. This is the year in which Croatia marks ten years since its entry into the European Union, so it was an opportunity to present the experiences of the new EU member, its advantages and disadvantages, which were reflected in the position of workers in our society, with a special emphasis on young people.
The coronavirus pandemic had a serious impact on all segments of society, and the most vulnerable groups of society were particularly affected, which had a negative impact on the overall economic activity and the labor market and resulted in an increase in the number of unemployed people. Measures to combat the pandemic led to a significant reduction in economic activity, especially in sectors where work was partially or completely prohibited. The pandemic has caused uncertainty regarding economic activity, the status of workers and people actively looking for work.
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic particularly affected the education system, which in a very short period had to be transformed into a new way of working, which caused great problems and trauma for the teaching staff, especially the older generation, who were not trained for such activities, and neither was the infrastructure for conducting such classes, it was not adequate to the needs. An insufficient number of computers for classes, and especially an insufficient number of computers for pupils and students, resulted in a lower level of knowledge, the consequences of which will be felt for years to come, both in education (those who continue further education) and in employment and in the economic sector where this knowledge needs to be applied. This situation automatically has consequences for the mental and emotional state of young people in the economy and education.
Some of the lecturers also touched on some new phenomena in society that the world is facing, especially with reference to young workers and their social position in the work processes.
And while the consequences of the pandemic are still being analysed and repaired through recovery measures, new problems caused by the war in Ukraine are also emerging. The Ukrainian representative spoke about the problems in Ukraine, who expressed concern about the large population outflow caused by the war as well as the consequences of the war, but the fact that they received the status of a candidate for EU entry gives them hope. He believes that with the help of the European Union, Ukraine will more easily repair the consequences of war destruction. The good news is that Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina also received candidate status, which certainly gives greater chances for the political stabilization of the southeastern part of Europe, and therefore improves the chances for greater economic growth in that part of Europe.
On the second day of the seminar, there was more talk about "artificial intelligence" and its consequences on the labour market. The new technological revolution is developing much faster than people's ability to accept all that it brings with it. Thus, undefined protocols are imposed in the research and use of artificial intelligence in the world.
In human history, there has always been resistance to changes in social paradigms - for example, the movement of "luddists" who destroyed machines at the beginning of the industrial revolution - but over time, society adapted and accepted the new positive results of the changes, and the opinion of the lecturer and seminar participants, that this will eventually happen this time as well.
Professor Predrag Pale explained the principle of functioning of "artificial intelligence". He listed a number of current occupations (such as translators, drivers, surgeons and others), which will soon be replaced in large numbers by "artificial intelligence". He also announced the emergence of new professions whose work, computers and robots, will still not be able to replace. A new technological revolution is inevitable, just as the previous ones that happened were inevitable, but things should be approached in a different way and your work should be directed towards creative content. For the development of society, it is sometimes important to strategically determine where to be first, and where to be second or third, because the first places offer supremacy, but also the danger of the consequences of a bad choice. According to Professor Pale, science and art are the most difficult to replace, and he sees the future in new professions in this direction. "The fact is that technology is progressing much faster than interpersonal relations, and more intensive work will need to be done in this direction in order to reduce the negative consequences that may be caused by it," Pale said at the end of his presentation.
The conclusion of the seminar is that the different levels of development of individual members of the European Union, especially member states that are candidates for joining the EU, require a special, different approach to solving the problems in the world of work they are facing. The experiences of developed countries that were presented at the seminar will certainly contribute to the search for solutions to problems in less developed countries.