Conference Held: “From Education to Career: Strengthening Links Between Education and the Labour Market Through the European Initiatives Europass and Euroguidance”

The Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and The Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with co-financing from the European Union, organized today in Sarajevo the conference “From Education to Career: Strengthening Links Between Education and the Labour Market through the European Initiatives Europass and Euroguidance”, dedicated to enhancing cooperation between the education and employment sectors, vocational guidance, and career development.

The conference brought together representatives of institutions responsible for education and the labour market, public employment services, educational institutions, employers, international organizations, social partners, and civil society organizations with the aim of exchanging experiences, presenting good practices, and strengthening partnerships in the field of human capital development.

During the conference, it was emphasized that the labour market is undergoing significant changes driven by digitalization, technological development, demographic trends, and migration, requiring education systems and labour market institutions to adapt more rapidly and strengthen their cooperation. Special attention was given to the challenges facing Bosnia and Herzegovina, including high youth unemployment, shortages of qualified labour in certain sectors, and the mismatch between the competencies acquired by young people and employers’ needs.

The need for systematically strengthening cooperation between educational institutions, employment services, and employers was highlighted, as well as the importance of increased investment in practical training, internships, and other forms of work-based learning. Participants stressed that quality career guidance and counselling play a crucial role in enabling informed educational and professional choices and facilitating a smoother transition of young people from education to the labour market.

Particular attention was drawn to the importance of developing lifelong learning systems, reskilling, and upskilling opportunities as a response to the increasingly dynamic needs of the labour market. The important role of public employment services in providing labour market information, vocational guidance, career counselling, and implementing active labour market measures was also emphasized.

As part of the conference, participants were introduced to the opportunities offered by the European initiatives Europass and Euroguidance, as well as their contribution to improving career guidance, mobility, and institutional capacity building through the exchange of experiences and good practices at the European level.

It was concluded that labour market challenges can be successfully addressed only through partnership, coordination, and joint action by all relevant stakeholders. Conference participants expressed their readiness to continue cooperation aimed at creating higher-quality policies and measures that will contribute to improving the employability of young people and other unemployed persons, as well as strengthening the competitiveness of the workforce in Bosnia and Herzegovina.