The three-year development partnership of the Hastor Foundation, Prevent Component d.o.o. Goražde and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH within the develoPPP.de program which started in 2018 resulted in the implementation of the IDEAL project – Improving and Developing the Educational System for Plastic Processing Operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Guided by the main goal and mission aimed at improving the quality of vocational education in the field of plastic processing, in order to create professional staff for the needs of companies in the plastics industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina who can work on cutting edge machinery, the above-mentioned partners successfully completed the IDEAL project with a final conference held on the 14th of September 2021 in Goražde.
The conference was opened by the director of the Hastor Foundation, Seid Fijuljanin, who presented great results and the most important achievements and indicators of success which were achieved through joint work and consistent investment, all aiming to overcome the problems of labour supply and demand.
From the very beginning and all the ideas we had designing the project and the time we had to consult our partners, we knew that we were putting together and doing something very ambitious. There were a lot of challenges and difficulties, which we overcame thanks to our personal and organizational capacities. In the end, we showed strength in achieving progress in a very important field of life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that is vocational education, said Mr. Fijuljanin.
Isabel Rapp, project manager of the project “Technical Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina” pointed out that cooperation between educational institutions and the private sector is key to creating new jobs.
The idea for the IDEAL project was created by the private sector, in search of skilled labour. Prevent Components and the Hastor Foundation took the first steps to overcome those challenges when they started a development partnership. The development partnership with Prevent Components d.o.o. Goražde and the Hastor Foundation is part of the PPP.de development program implemented by GIZ on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ). As a result of the cooperation between Prevent Components d.o.o. Goražde, Hastor Foundation, Agency for Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education, Ministry of Education and Pedagogical Institute of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde, Public Institution Secondary Vocational School WDžemal Bijedić” Goražde and GIZ, a modern educational system for plastic processing following the needs of the private sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina was developed.
Talking about the importance of the participation of educational institutions within the IDEAL project, the director of the Pedagogical Institute of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde, Admir Kurtović, pointed out:
The story about the profession of plastic processor started much earlier than the project itself. It started during the opening of companies such as Prevent, and others that needed that staff. Until the occurrence of the IDEAL project, we had to improvise due to a lack of resources and people who could work. By joining the IDEAL project, we managed to connect the dots, and this story has shown that by symbiosis and joint participation of the private and educational sectors, it is possible to have a quality story that shows a bright example when it comes to the education system of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Through the IDEAL project, Bosnia and Herzegovina has become richer in the standard of the profession for plastics processing, which was adopted by the state agency APOSO. As many as 12 companies from the plastics industry from all parts of the country participated in the development of this standard. In addition, the development of a curriculum for the profession of plastic processors was supported, and this curriculum was implemented and successfully carried out at the Secondary Vocational School “Džemal Bijedić” Goražde, the only school in Bosnia and Herzegovina that offers education for this profession.
In this project, we have all pulled our weight, which means that the business sector, the non-governmental sector, the school, the Ministry, students and understanding parents have achieved this kind of success. When working together, especially in small environments such as the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton, good results are guaranteed. We can say that this is an extremely successful project, but I am proud as a school principal because students will have a secure job after finishing school and conducting practical classes in dual education, said the director of Secondary Vocational School “Džemal Bijedić” in Goražde.
The importance of the activities carried out within the project is evidenced by the fact that many stereotypes about this profession were broken. In the second generation of plastic processors, as many as 53% of enrolled students were girls, which is proof that the distinction between female and male occupations is unjustified and superfluous. Thanks to the IDEAL project, the students gained positive and valuable experiences, and they emphasize that the choice of this profession for them is a step towards a bright future and a great opportunity to find a job.
An indicator of the success of the project that the organizers are especially proud of is the fact that even in the very beginning of the students’ education they could jump from their school desks into work suits through practical classes in companies where they acquired competencies that they can use directly in the labour market, but also earn their first pocket money.
The conference was realized through a panel discussion with representatives from educational institutions, businesses and students of the Secondary Vocational School “Džemal Bijedić” Goražde. All project partners were awarded letters of thanks for being IDEAL project partners whose contribution to this project helped achieve the results worth presenting in the wider area of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Translated by Nejra Galijašević
