Component 1: Transition from education to work
About:
According to the recent ETF report, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Education, Training and Employment Developments 2020 (ETF, 2020), career guidance and counselling services are under-developed across Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 2020-2022 Economic Reform Programme prioritises this area for development (BiH, 2020). Youth unemployment remains high in BiH. According to the BiH Agency for Statistics, almost every fourth young person is neither in employment nor education and training (NEET). There is also evidence of a “brain drain” to more developed countries, highlighting a disconnect between the education system and the labour market, and a lack of incentive for young people to stay and work in BiH. It is, therefore, critical to supporting improved transitions from education into decent work opportunities. In addition, developing entrepreneurship and digital competences will also be included within the project and in line with the latest EU developments, EC reports and BiH policy papers.
Within this project Component, the career guidance reform will be supported in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This support will be carried out in line with EU lifelong career guidance models and strategies, including initiatives such as the European Network of Public Employment Services, the European Commission’s 2017 Practitioner Toolkit, ELGPN (European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network) toolkits and other relevant EU strategic documents, such as the 2016 Council Recommendation on upskilling pathways.
Main result:
The Lifelong Learning career guidance strategies developed in line with EU lifelong career guidance (LCG) at the level of responsible authorities!
Main outcomes:
- Improved access, relevance and effectiveness of career guidance services at school, HE and PES levels;
- Increased capacities for BiH public sector staff in the implementation and monitoring of career guidance models and strategies;
- Improved evidence base concerning future skills forecasts and transitions into work/employment journeys;
- Increased capacities of staff in the education sector to teach entrepreneurship and digital competences.
Main activities:
- To conduct analysis of the current status of Career Guidance in schools, universities and public employment services
- To develop appropriate models and strategies for career guidance
- To organise training of relevant staff on implementation and monitoring of career guidance models and strategies
- To produce user-friendly career information
- To develop a database on student tracking and training relevant staff
- To support/establish career guidance centres
- To develop model for supporting young talents and developing creative skills of young people (with special emphasis on entrepreneurship thinking)
- To develop and implement an interdisciplinary/cross-curricular model at all levels of education, with focus on entrepreneurial and digital competences
Working groups involved:
- Career Guidance Working Groups (CGWG)
- Working group on Digital and Entrepreneurship Learning (WGDEL)
