Just like an employed person with a disability and their employer have the right to modify the workplace with the assistance of a work assistant under the Law on Professional Rehabilitation, beneficiaries of vocational training programs—who are people with disabilities—should also have the same right, along with the employers facilitating their training.

This proposal should be endorsed, as indicated in the opinion presented at the suggestion of MP Vasa Obradović and Dejan Đurović, which was given the day before by Prime Minister Milojko Spajic.

The draft law amending the Law on Professional Training of Persons with Higher Education puts forward that an additional paragraph should be included in Article 11 following paragraph 3, stating: “A beneficiary who is a person with a disability, as well as an employer, shall have the right to access professional rehabilitation measures which include rights related to workplace adaptation and work assistants.”

The explanatory memorandum accompanying the Bill emphasizes that it is essential to adopt the Bill on Amendments to the Law on Professional Training of Persons with Higher Education because, under existing legislation, persons with disabilities are unable to access their professional rehabilitation rights and other entitlements that can be obtained through an employment contract, thereby causing discrimination against this demographic in relation to the rest of the population, as reiterated in the opinion.

Additionally, the proponents of the Bill highlight that these legal amendments would allow persons with disabilities to have the same opportunities as other participants in vocational training programs.

“Moreover, it is pointed out that persons with disabilities, or employers hiring persons with disabilities, under the Law on Professional Rehabilitation, among other rights, are entitled to workplace adaptations for individuals with disabilities, including work assistants, which are particularly vital for the productivity of persons with disabilities,” the opinion affirms.

With the proposed change, it adds, “the Government is convinced that this situation will experience an improvement.”

“In essence, the same rights will be granted to all vocational training users, ensuring the availability of workplace adaptations and work assistants for users who are persons with disabilities. Furthermore, through a clearer definition of incentive measures, the amendments will be aligned with the Law on Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities, thereby resolving certain ambiguities and challenges in the current regulatory framework. In light of these considerations, the government is supportive of the Proposal for a Law on Amendments to the Law on Vocational Training of Persons with Higher Education, as submitted to the Parliament of Montenegro by MPs Vasa Obradović and Dejan Đurović,” reads Spajić’s opinion.

The vocational training program is designed for individuals with higher education lacking work experience pertinent to their level of education and who are registered with the Employment Service. The duration of the vocational training for beneficiaries is nine months, which is equivalent to 12 months of recognized work experience and a prerequisite for taking the relevant professional examination in higher education.

According to the Law on Professional Rehabilitation, employers who hire individuals with disabilities, besides receiving wage subsidies for these employees, are also eligible for grants to modify workplace settings and conditions for the employment of persons with disabilities. They can obtain loans at favorable rates for the purchase of essential machinery, equipment, and tools required for the employment of persons with disabilities, as well as the right to seek financial assistance for the personal expenses of work assistants for persons with disabilities.

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