'Vocational Adult Education as a Response to Labour Market Challenges'

(Patria) - The YES Youth Centre of the SOS Children's Villages BiH organisation organised a panel discussion on the topic "Vocational Adult Education as a Response to Labour Market Challenges". The goal of the panel was to bring together representatives from the government, non-governmental, and business sectors to share experiences related to various aspects of informal education and vocational training of adults.

The discussion also addressed the shortage of qualified labour and whether informal education and vocational training can be a response to this challenge. Panel participants included Lamija Husić – Assistant Minister of the Sector for Secondary Education and Adult Education of the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Sarajevo Canton; Dr. Emir Avdagić – Director of the DVV International office in BiH; Nermana Ajanović – Head of Development and Marketing at Posao.ba; Indira Semanić – HR Business Partner at Nelt; Armina Silić – Project Manager at the YES Youth Centre, a programme for the empowerment and employment of youth from SOS Children's Villages BiH.

Panel participants agreed that, first and foremost, it is necessary to work on changing the awareness of employers and individuals so that adult education is viewed as an investment that will yield multiple returns; that programmes focused on youth/adult education must be based on learning outcomes and meet the needs of the labour market, and that they should lead to the personal and professional development of each individual. Panelists highlighted that employers are willing to invest in vocational training, but that programmes must also be accessible to young people. However, the most important conclusion is the need for continuous cooperation and dialogue among all stakeholders involved in youth/adult education.

The YES Youth Centre of the SOS Children's Villages BiH organisation supports beneficiaries through informal vocational training for occupations that are in short supply on the market. The categories of youth with whom the YES Centre works are those who are harder to employ from vulnerable population groups, who very often do not have completed formal secondary education and are not competitive on the labour market. The chance for their employment lies in informal vocational training.