Project title “Proposal for a systemic solution for assessing competency needs and developing job profiles”

The Chamber of Economy of the Federation of BiH (Chamber of Economy FBiH) and the Republic Agency for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises signed an agreement defining the roles and tasks in the implementation of the project “Proposal for a systemic solution for assessing competency needs and developing job profiles”.

The project aims to build a systemic approach to non-formal adult education for missing occupations and skills in industries in BiH with the greatest employment potential.

The project focused on six industrial sectors, in which research identified a mismatch between employers’ demand for industrial occupations and the supply of the active workforce with skills and competencies acquired through formal education.

The research found that there are very few providers of non-formal education services on the market tailored to the specific needs of employers in industrial sectors in BiH.

The “PrilikaPlus” programme has built a network of eight training centres for various industrial occupations in BiH. These centres enrolled their first participants at the beginning of 2013, and by the end of 2013 at least 300 people were expected to complete various training programmes for industrial occupations according to the needs of companies in BiH.

Also, the project has so far developed ten training programmes according to employers’ needs, which the training centres will use to train participants.

In addition to the Chamber of Economy FBiH, “PrilikaPlus” signed agreements on joint implementation of activities in the field of non-formal education for industry needs with the chambers of economy of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Sarajevo Canton and Una-Sana Canton, as well as with the Chamber of Economy of Republika Srpska.


Acquiring skills relevant to the labour market

One of the main challenges for sustainable development in BiH is high unemployment, especially youth unemployment. Currently at 28% and with 300,000 unemployed people, BiH has one of the highest unemployment rates in the region. Youth unemployment has reached as high as 62%, and every year around 25,000 new young people enter the labour market. At that point it becomes quite clear that these young people are not ready to meet labour market requirements because the formal education system does not provide practical experience, and the skills they learn in schools are not always relevant in today’s labour market. Due to poor links between the private sector and educational institutions, students rarely have the opportunity for practical work in company facilities. On the other hand, practical workshops organised in schools are not adequately equipped.


Much-needed exchange of knowledge and practices between schools and companies

The project focuses on improving the knowledge of students in secondary vocational schools by enhancing the practical part of teaching through creative solutions for connecting and establishing cooperation between the education and private sectors in BiH. Thanks to this connection, cooperation and the needs of employers and the production sector, the project will offer practical experience to secondary vocational school students, thus enabling them to acquire skills relevant to the labour market.

The direct impact of the project is an increase in the employability of students. Furthermore, the vocational schools themselves, as well as companies in need of qualified labour, will benefit from an improved curriculum.


Support for existing formal and non-formal vocational training centres and aligning education with labour market needs

The Prilika Plus project was designed to provide appropriate training for at least 6,000 unemployed people and high school graduates, of whom at least 50% would be employed as a direct result of successfully completed training. The project succeeded in this intention, because the training provided was in line with the requirements of the business sector. Therefore, close cooperation between the business sector and vocational schools was extremely important. Special attention was given to sectors such as metal processing, wood processing, agriculture, leather, textile and footwear sectors, hospitality and tourism. These sectors require the most labour, and at the same time have potential for growth and development. The practical part of the training was expanded to 20 state vocational schools.


Development of labour-market-oriented curricula and occupational standards

The development of labour-market-oriented curricula and occupational standards was achieved in close cooperation with various stakeholders in the supply and demand chain. Supply-side stakeholders include secondary vocational schools and training centres in the private sector, while demand is represented by companies and potential employers. The project therefore created modern educational programmes designed according to the real needs of employers and driven by the demand for work skills.


The results of the first phase of the project confirm its importance

In the first phase of the project, a total of eight training centres were established in six different industrial sectors. So far, more than 500 people have completed training, including 312 unemployed young people. Permanent employment or at least temporary work was obtained by 102 graduates after completing the training programme.

A total of 38 curricula and standardised tests were developed. Many trainers participated in skills enhancement courses, and the expert base now numbers more than 80 people.

The “Prilika Plus” programme is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and you can learn more about the project at the link: http://www.prilikaplus.ba/#!home