Better employment chances for a group of young people from Zenica Doboj Canton

41 young person from Zenica Doboj Canton successfully completed one or more vocational courses thus increasing their employment and income generating chances.  Project entitled „Increasing employability and income generating capabilities of vulnerable youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zenica-Doboj Canton" implemented in partnership with NGO „Medica" Zenica and Save the Children in North-West Balkans.

Project's goal was improvement of economy status of socially deprived young persons who live in rural and remote areas, including their families, through providing services of acquiring new knowledge and skills, employment, self-employment and psychological and social strengthening. Project included tailoring, sewing, upholstery, printing on textile, hairdressing and manicure courses, along with taking courses in life skills and entrepreneurship that will be of most use to young persons' when looking for a job or self-employment.

Project was implemented with support from Zenica-Doboj Canton Government, Zenica Municipality and Zenica-Doboj Canton Employment Institute, while successful completion was marked on October 11 in premises of Drop-in centre of Medica Zenica.

For most-successful trainees, those who demonstrated strong motivation, dedication and persistence in the education and practical processes, acquiring the best results, a total of 25 trainees, Save the Children provided business start-up packages to stimulate self-employment, consisting of basic equipment necessary for application of acquired skills.

On this occasion, students expressed their pleasure with what they learned in this process: „I have learned many useful new things and I hope to continue successfully to use acquired knowledge to help myself and my family," said Devla Fejzic, who attended courses on tailoring, sewing, upholstery and printing on textile.

Zenica Municipality official, Zijad Softic, stressed significance of the project for young persons and this Municipality, commending cooperation of governmental, non-governmental and international organisations that, with joint efforts, ensured increasing of employment chances for these youth.

Alma Bradarac, Head of Zenica-Doboj-Canton Employment Institute, expressed importance of the project in the light of 20 000 unemployed persons in this Canton, 50% of which are young women. She used this opportunity to welcome efforts made by young female trainees to ensure a better life for themselves and invited them to get informed in the Institute about employment or self-employment possibilities through stimulus self-employment programs.

Andrea Zeravcic, Save the Children in North West Balkans Director, also praised young girls, women and young mothers, for their proactive participation in the vocational education program, who ensured a better future for themselves, their children and families through completion of the courses and further use of acquired knowledge and skills.