{"id":2801,"date":"2025-07-26T13:53:56","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T11:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/mentorship-that-changes-lives-students-across-bosnia-and-herzegovina-learn-from-the-best\/"},"modified":"2025-07-27T16:11:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T14:11:51","slug":"mentorship-that-changes-lives-students-across-bosnia-and-herzegovina-learn-from-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/mentorship-that-changes-lives-students-across-bosnia-and-herzegovina-learn-from-the-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Mentorship That Changes Lives: Students Across Bosnia and Herzegovina Learn from the Best"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In a time of rapid changes in the labor market, classroom knowledge alone is no longer enough. Through practical training in companies across Bosnia and Herzegovina, students gain real-world experience, professional skills, and \u2013 most importantly \u2013 the support of mentors who guide, motivate, and prepare them for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campaign #LearningFromTheBest<\/strong>, implemented by GIZ<\/strong> within the SEDEP program<\/strong>, funded by the European Union<\/strong>, the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany<\/strong>, and the Swiss Government<\/strong> (www.digigreen.ba<\/a>), shares stories of mentors from all over the country \u2013 highlighting their crucial role in education and the professional development of youth through partnerships with companies in BiH. Mentors are not just conveyors of knowledge \u2013 they are role models, leaders, and bridges between school and the real world of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investing in Mentorship Is Investing in the Future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies that invest in mentorship build stronger workplace culture, develop leaders, and increase motivation among employees. A mentor can be any professional who has received pedagogical-didactic training \u2013 such training is usually conducted by chambers of commerce and lasts from three to five days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMentorship is a valuable process through which practical training mentors transfer their knowledge and experience to students. It shapes and directs students toward the future so they can face challenges with confidence,\u201dsays Elmin \u0160kulj, a practical training mentor at Centrotrans d.d. Sarajevo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While there is no unified approach to mentor training in BiH, more and more cantons and entities are recognizing the importance of making mentorship a legal obligation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important that students receive knowledge from trained practical training mentors. Mentorship changes work culture by encouraging team spirit, knowledge sharing, and professional development,\u201demphasizes Adnan Halilovi\u0107, a mentor at Prevent Components d.o.o. Gora\u017ede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Investing in People Is Investing in the Future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to unofficial data, over 800 registered mentors have been trained in BiH since 2017 through training provided by GIZ and its partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMentors trained by GIZ in recent years come from the Bosnian-Podrinje, Tuzla, Una-Sana, Zenica-Doboj, and Sarajevo Cantons, as well as from the Republic of Srpska. Most of them work in the production sector \u2013 such as mechanical engineering, metalworking, and wood industry \u2013 but a significant number are also involved in service industries like hospitality, tourism, hairdressing, cosmetology, electrical trades, and banking. We believe the actual number of mentors is even higher, given the lack of access to all relevant data from every part of Bosnia and Herzegovina,\u201d says Majda Toli\u0107, advisor for secondary vocational education and labor market at GIZ.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReal change can only come from properly educated mentors. Mentorship is not just teaching \u2013 it\u2019s about inspiring, empowering, and opening doors to future opportunities,\u201d says Boris \u0160a\u0161i\u0107, master trainer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mentors as Role Models and Drivers of Change<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through years of working with young people, practical training mentors have helped numerous students gain skills sought in the labor market \u2013 as well as valuable life experiences. They don\u2019t just transfer knowledge \u2013 they shape attitudes, work habits, and self-confidence in future professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fast-changing times, young people need more than knowledge \u2013 they need role models. Mentors help them understand the real world of work, overcome uncertainties, and learn how to behave in professional environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom my mentor, I learned how to build work habits and complete tasks independently. One day, I\u2019d like to become a mentor myself,\u201d says Muradif Salman, a student from Sarajevo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mentor helped me develop communication with guests and understand how to behave at the reception,\u201d adds Amar Kapetanovi\u0107, a hospitality school student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPractical training helped me overcome fear, and today, I\u2019m a colleague to my mentor,\u201d says Haris Jusi\u0107 from Biha\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThanks to mentorship, I decided to enroll at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,\u201d says Sonja Ka\u010davenda from Gradi\u0161ka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentorship is more than training \u2013 it is an investment in the future of coming generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentorship \u2013 A Two-Way Learning Process<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentorship is not a one-way street. While sharing knowledge and experience, mentors also learn from their students \u2013 about new ideas, approaches, and challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to communicate well and respect each other. As a practical training mentor, I try not to be overly strict with students \u2013 I strive to build a friendly relationship,\u201d explains Ostoja Sladojevi\u0107, a mentor at PMP Jel\u0161ingrad-FMG a.d. Gradi\u0161ka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery day and every student is a new challenge. I see myself in them. I\u2019m happy I can provide them what I didn\u2019t have access to,\u201d adds Danijel Vasi\u0107, a mentor from TIKT Manufaktura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cA mentor is a friend and an inspiration to students, helping them succeed in the profession they are studying for,\u201d concludes Tea Lubura-Nuhanovi\u0107, a mentor at Hotel Courtyard By Marriott Sarajevo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentorship builds bridges between generations, experiences, and perspectives. It is an investment in people \u2013 and people are the greatest value of any team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow the #LearningFromTheBest campaign and \ud83c\udfa5 Watch the video stories from 12 companies on the <\/strong>DigiGreen Library<\/a>.<\/strong>Discover inspiring mentor stories from companies across BiH. Each story is different, but they all share one goal: to empower young people through knowledge and example.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a time of rapid changes in the labor market, classroom knowledge alone is no longer enough.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2801"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2817,"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2801\/revisions\/2817"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digigreen.ba\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}