The Department of Education of the Government of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Department of Economic Development, Sports and Culture of the Government of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit – GIZ) signed today a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a framework for strengthening cooperation in the field of secondary vocational education and training, as well as the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Memorandum was signed within the framework of the programme “Sustainable Economic Development and Promotion of Employment in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SEDEP)”, implemented by GIZ and co-financed by the European Union, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ), and the Government of Switzerland.
The programme aims to strengthen sustainable economic development and employment in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the improvement of vocational education and training, private sector development, and the strengthening of links between education, the labour market, and public institutions, particularly in the areas of the green economy and digitalisation.
“As a local community, we have not had much experience in the field of digital transformation, but this is an opportunity to adopt good practices and experiences from elsewhere and to create in Brčko a solid model of synergy between the labour market and entrepreneurship. This is a chance to further develop small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs who, through our programmes and self-employment programmes, will incorporate good practices, experiences, and knowledge, in order to produce well-trained new entrepreneurs for the market—not only of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also of the region and the European Union,” explained Srđan Blažić, Head of the Department of Economic Development, Sports and Culture.
The goal of the cooperation is to improve the quality of secondary vocational education and training through the development and strengthening of elements of dual education, as well as better alignment of educational programmes with labour market needs, particularly in the context of the green and digital transformation of the economy.
“I must emphasize that the Department of Education has also launched an initiative to adopt a law on dual education, which will, in practical terms, enable students to immediately acquire applicable knowledge and, through the practical application of that knowledge, be as prepared as possible for the labour market,” stressed Senad Osmanović, Head of the Department of Education.
At the same time, the Memorandum opens space for stronger support to private sector development and youth employment in Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Planned joint activities include the training of teachers and mentors, development and improvement of curricula, strengthening digital and green skills, support for youth entrepreneurship, as well as activities focused on innovation and competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
“Within companies, in terms of strengthening secondary vocational education, we train young people through internships in those companies. We achieve this by educating mentors within the companies who are trained to guide and support students coming for practical training. Within the project, we will cooperate with companies in the fields of cybersecurity, cyber security, and greening of business operations, all with the aim of making them as competitive as possible on the international market,” said SEDEP Programme Manager Jens Elsner.
The partners emphasized that the Memorandum represents an important step toward strengthening the link between education and the economy, creating better employment opportunities for young people, and achieving long-term sustainable economic development in Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Memorandum of Understanding will remain in force until the completion of the SEDEP programme, i.e., until December 2027, and the cooperation will be implemented through concrete, jointly agreed activities in accordance with the applicable regulations and policies of the partners.
