On November 15, a seminar for youth of foreign origin titled “Your guide to the Lithuanian labour market: rights, rules, and realities” took place at the administration of the Vilnius District Municipality. The event aimed to familiarize participants with the Lithuanian labour market, covering key labour rights, essential legal issues for job seekers, and sharing inspiring success stories.
“The lack of knowledge regarding labour law and employers' misuse of this is an extremely relevant issue. Even as Lithuanian citizens who have lived here our entire lives, we often do not know the labour law and allow it to be exploited. So, what then can be said about people arriving from abroad and a different work culture, who are unable to navigate the legal complexities and frequently do not even realize their rights are being violated in various situations,” said Gabriela Mickevič-Jara, Integration Coordinator for Residents of Foreign Origin, regarding the seminar.
During the first part of the event, attorney Laura Juodakytė provided a detailed presentation on essential labour law matters crucial for job seekers and current workers in Lithuania. She discussed employment opportunities, the rights and obligations of both employees and employers, with a specific focus on employment contracts and their amendments, offering practical advice for ensuring a smooth and lawful employment relationship process.
Attention was also paid to business creation issues: from the initial steps and choosing the legal form to responsibilities, taxes, and mandatory procedures. Furthermore, the attorney highlighted specific challenges relevant to foreigners in Lithuania, such as the procedures for obtaining residence and work permits, document preparation, integration issues, and other legal requirements for maintaining lawful presence in the country.
The event participants had the opportunity not only to gain useful legal insights but also to share their own personal experiences, professional challenges, achievements, and success stories.
“This second part of the “Citizenship Academy” has again highlighted the importance of providing clear labour market information and young people's ability to use it responsibly. It is also encouraging to witness the growing engagement among participants, as their questions and discussions clearly show that youth of foreign origin are actively seeking to establish their place in Lithuania and are determined to build it firmly, consciously, and bravely,” said Ieva Jakubėnaitė, Deputy Chairperson of the Youth Affairs Council.
In the second part, Princess Benido – an entrepreneur from Ghana, current Vilnius district resident, and founder of the “OBA African Store” – presented her business, personal story, and success example.
“My business journey in Lithuania started with a pregnancy. While expecting my daughter, I immensely missed African food, I missed home, Ghanaian dishes. I searched everywhere, in stores and online, but couldn't find anything familiar. (...) While browsing the internet, I saw that I wasn't the only one searching for this food. That's when the idea of an African food store popped into my head. When this thought first came to me, I knew it wouldn't leave me, so I immediately started looking for suppliers,” P. Benido spoke about the birth of the African goods store idea.
“I launched the store with only a few items. On the one hand, because I didn't want to take too much risk, and on the other hand, because those initial items were the food I missed so much. I wasn't overly concerned, knowing that if the store failed, I would simply eat everything myself. (...) Now, a few years later, my store has expanded, and I even have products or beauty supplies that I haven't tried myself, all because customers specifically request certain goods they miss from their home continent.”
In her narrative, P. Benido also shared the difficulties she encountered while trying to navigate the legal and business system in Lithuanian. The entrepreneur stressed that she experienced a great deal of difficulty precisely because of the language, as even after living in Lithuania for several years, examining legal language remains an overwhelming challenge.
“It is extremely important to have a reliable person from Lithuania who can help or advise you when needed. But most importantly – don't give up and don't forget your home. Your family, who is so far away, is always thinking of you and is ready to help with even the smallest word of support, so never underestimate them,” P. Benido emphasized.
The Citizenship School is part of the international project “Citizenship Academy: Building Inclusive and Diverse European Societies through the Civic Participation of Young Migrants”, funded by the EU Erasmus+ programme. In Lithuania, the school is co-organised by the Global Citizens’ Academy and Vilnius District Municipality.
“Citizenship Academy: Building Inclusive and Diverse European Societies through the Civic Participation of Young Migrants” is a joint initiative of four partners: PI “World Citizens Academy" (Lithuania), “Jovesolides” (Spain), “COPE” (Italy), and “VogalOrizontal” (Portugal), with the aim of empowering foreign-born youth to become more involved in the social and civic life of local communities and states.
Thanks to the project, 40 young foreign-born individuals with residence permits in Lithuania will be able to participate in a 40-hour course. It will introduce the historical context of Lithuania and promote stronger local community involvement, leadership, and active engagement. The goal of this project is the empowerment of migrant youth, the promotion of activism, and the fostering of the democratic values of the European Union.
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