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A workshop on green and digital transitions as drivers of future jobs in the Mediterranean Region held in Sarajevo

Latest news

09/26/2024

Agencija za rad i zapošljavanje BiH


An international workshop on the topic “The Future of Work” was held in Sarajevo today.  The workshop addressed several interconnected dimensions related to the future of work: green and digital transitions, the utilization of artificial intelligence and automation and the blue economy, etc.  The conference was opened by Edin Forto, Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ivan Barbalić, Director of the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Mohammed Elrazzaz, Head of Sector of Economic Development and Employment of the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat.
 
The pervasive uncertainty caused by macroeconomic, geopolitical and environmental disruptions increasingly complicates the decision-making process for governments and businesses regarding the future jobs, workforce skills, business models and economic strategies.  The green and digital transformation, along with artificial intelligence are the trends frequently referred to as potential drivers of growth. However, in less developed regions, such as the Mediterranean, these challenges raise legitimate concerns over insufficient and/or inadequate vocational guidance, shortage of in-demand skills and knowledge and the absence of strategies required for the implementation of these transformations.
 
The Union for the Mediterranean, of which Bosnia and Herzegovina is a member, has recognized the need to address the employment-related challenges in accordance with the commitments outlined by the United Nations in its Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030).  To this end, a series of workshops is scheduled with the second one held in Sarajevo today. 
 
The workshop has gathered around 60 experts from the European Union and the Mediterranean countries who engaged in discussions and exchanged insights and experience on the advantages and challenges posed by the green and digital transitions, along with artificial intelligence in the context of creating new jobs, the disappearance of some traditional occupations and the necessity to develop new skills in the labour market.  In one of the panels, participants focused particularly on the impact of these processes on employment in extreme situations such as climate change, armed conflicts, migration waves and pandemics.  It is evident that most countries are still not resilient to extreme situations causing major disruptions in the labour market which is why strategies should be developed to increase the resilience to such events.
 
The workshop was hosted by the Labour and Employment Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Social Innovation Incubator (MUNJA) with the organisational support and expertise provided by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the European Training Foundation (ETF).  The workshop was co-funded by the European Commission (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).