Ećo Company invests in further education, job opportunities for young people

The 'Format' Center for Specialized Education is a center for informal adult education. It was founded in October 2012. It was initiated by Ećo Company and supported by the Prilika Plus program financed by SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation), writes the Patria News Agency.

It was created in response to one of the biggest problems in the wood industry, which is the inability to educate and professionally train all personnel in this sector, from carpenters, upholsterers, painters, CNC operators, CNC programmers, to interior designers and middle management staff.

The goal is easier job finding and employment growth, specialization for jobs that align with market needs, a better position and greater competitiveness through personal development, upgrading knowledge and competencies through further education and practical training, connecting educational institutions with the economy, and strong cooperation between students, unemployed, employed individuals seeking self-improvement, and employers, explains Suhad Ećo, General Director of "Ećo Company".

The lecturers are long-term, experienced practitioners who have undergone special pedagogical and andragogical methods within the framework of Certification according to the Prilika Plus Model.

The Center has two main activities: education (vocational training, courses, and seminars) and connecting educational institutions with the real sector. Format bases its approach to vocational training on the DACUM methodology, which involves 4 steps: DACUM map, Curriculum, Implementation Program, and Testing Instruments. Each program includes 20 percent theoretical and 80 percent practical instruction.

The training cycle for CNC operators was completed last year, and all participants found employment at "Ećo Company".

Within the "Program for co-financing work preparation through training, professional development, and improvement," implemented by the Federal Employment Bureau together with the company "Ećo Company" and the Center "Format," vocational training for assembly carpenters, upholsterers, and painters in the wood industry began in early February 2015.

Thirty unemployed individuals who met the specific training criteria participated in the new training programs. One of the participants is Nermana Zulufić from Ilijaš, who says:

"This is a great investment in our further education and training for work and the needs of the economy. I am here to be one of those who will seize this opportunity and get a job after learning and practical work," says Nermana.

Suhad Ećo states that after these and other training programs, 70 percent of the participants will be employed at "Ećo Company" or another Bosnian company.

What can particularly encourage young people, Ećo points out, is that this education model, with a higher ratio of practical to theoretical education, will be applied in other cities and countries in the region, as it suits the economy and market needs.