People with disabilities should be actively included in the digital world, and institutions must empower them in this process, as digital skills can open numerous opportunities for employment, self-employment, and personal competence development. This was one of the key messages from the event held to award certificates to participants who successfully completed three training modules in digital marketing, organized within the DI-MARC project.
The project “Empowering People with Physical Disabilities for Remote Work through the Advancement of Digital Marketing Competencies” (DI-MARC) is implemented by the Institute of Economic Sciences from Belgrade, in partnership with institutions, companies, and non-governmental organizations from Montenegro, Serbia, and Croatia.
A total of 25 people with physical disabilities from Podgorica, Nikšić, Bar, Bijelo Polje, and Petnjica successfully completed the three training modules.
Aleksandra Pavićević, Coordinator of the Employment Service at the Youth with Disabilities Association of Montenegro (UMHCG) and a member of the DI-MARC project team, emphasized that the training, conducted from October 14 to December 20, 2024, was aimed not only at gaining new knowledge but also at empowering people with disabilities for more active participation in the labor market.
“By acquiring new skills, people with disabilities can overcome physical and social barriers in the job market, increase their independence, and become more competitive in the professional environment. Continuous knowledge expansion and skill improvement are key to their professional development and long-term success, as only through constant upgrading of competencies can they take advantage of the opportunities provided by the digital environment,” said Pavićević.
Anđela Đokić, a digital marketing educator and Director of MAMM DOO from Nikšić, as well as a member of the DI-MARC project team, stated that the tasks successfully completed by the participants represented a complete marketing product, opening up further work opportunities in this field.
“I hope this project will put you in a position where you can become more employable, showcase your knowledge and experience, and perhaps even find your first clients. Those of you with business ideas will, I am sure, pursue digital entrepreneurship, create quality content, and develop business ideas with the help of what you have learned in this course,” said Đokić.
Milica Tomović, Head of the Department for Social and Child Protection in the Municipality of Kotor and a member of the DI-MARC project team, highlighted that as part of the DI-MARC project, an initial research study on remote job availability was conducted to define the key digital competencies necessary for online employment.
“The plan is to prepare online training materials so that more people with disabilities can access such educational programs. This is one of the most rewarding moments of the project, but it is certainly not the end. There is great potential, and with the support of the right people, it can be recognized and further enhanced,” said Tomović.
Marina Vujačić, Executive Director of UMHCG, pointed out that a special energy was present during the training, which further motivated the participants to change and improve themselves.
Several participants, including Luka Vojinović, Željko Miličić, Dalida Rastoder, Mirko Miličić, Anđela Miličić, Ferid Muratović, and Goran Mastilović, shared their positive experiences, emphasizing that the training significantly helped them develop the knowledge and skills necessary for work in the field of digital marketing.
Anđela Miličić had almost no prior knowledge of digital marketing before the training and was initially skeptical about whether she would be able to master it, but she found the process easier than expected.
“We all had our ideas and tasks and were committed to learning as much as possible and strengthening ourselves to become more competitive in the job market. Employers often have prejudices when hiring a person with disabilities, but this training is proof that, with the right mentoring support, people with disabilities can make a great contribution to the labor market through their knowledge and skills,” Miličić proudly stated.
