EU project demonstrates how labour market needs can shape education standards in BiH

The project, implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO), aims to ensure that standards reflect actual labor market needs and serve as a relevant basis for modernizing vocational education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mojca Krisper-Figueroa, head of the team at the EU Delegation to BiH's Department for Inclusive Growth and Citizen Empowerment, said the European Union had provided €1 million in funding for the project, which is nearing completion, and that today's session focused on practical information.

She stressed the importance of young people acquiring the qualifications needed in the labor market and wished them success, particularly teachers, who must constantly adapt to that market, which she said is not easy today given all the new technologies.

Dzenita Namgalija, coordinator of the EU for Education and Employment project at the International Labour Organization in BiH, explained that the challenges BiH faces regarding the labor market are no different from those faced by major countries and economies in the EU.

She described today's event, titled "How Standards Connect the Labor Market and Education," as the beginning of a process to align the labor market and education system, during which it will be practically demonstrated how institutions, workers and employers should cooperate.

Amra Skapur, director of the Sarajevo Secondary Mechanical Engineering Technical School, said the school keeps pace with modern technologies and that it is very important for them to modernize education and align it with occupational standards in the European Union.

"EU for Education and Employment" is a three-year project (2023-2026) aimed at improving the socioeconomic situation and living conditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina by aligning vocational education and training with labour market needs.