EU CONTINUES TO SUPPORT BOSNIAN SYSTEM OF EXPERT EDUCATION AND TRAINING

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 3,2007) – The EU continues supporting the Bosnian authorities in the process of achieving progress and modernization of the Bosnian System of Expert Education and Training (VET).

A meeting was organized in Sarajevo for the purpose of discussing the reforms in VET system. The project known as the Copenhagen Process in Bosnia has entered its third stage. Representatives of local authorities and partners, as well as the European Commission to Bosnia discussed the project’s goals and significance.

The Copenhagen Declaration provides guidelines related to strengthening of the European dimension of the expert education and training system, and the personnel mobility.

Esma Hadzagic. Representative of the Bosnian Ministry of Civil Affairs, stated that the end of the third stage of the project will help complete the VET system reform in Bosnia and create presuppositions for it to develop in accordance with the EU standards.

The new phase of the project will deal with the issues of classification of jobs, teacher training, equipment purchase and making a better connection between the VET system, the higher education graduates and the labor market.

Aim of the project is to develop a national qualification frame and development of the new models of financing the VET. EU has so far been the prime donor of the project, since 1998. The Union provided 11 million EUR for the realization of the project.

Participants emphasized that significant results have been achieved. Some of them include modernization of the curriculum and other programs in about 60 per cent of the qualification schools.

Eight different branches were encompassed by the project. A significant number of mentors has been trained.The VET System development strategy has been sent to the Bosnian government for approval. The law on VET is currently in the parliamentary procedure.