Belgrade Open School organised the first Fair of School Career Guidance and Counselling Teams. The event was in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, the Ministry of Youth and Sport, and Solidar Suisse/Swiss Labour Assistance (SLA) – Serbia Office. The Fair brought together 12 of the best school career guidance teams from across Serbia, as well as other interested representatives from secondary schools and various institutions and organisations, with the aim of exchanging experiences and improving their work in this field.

On this occasion, among others, the participants were addressed by Milorad Bjeletić, Executive Director of the Belgrade Open School; Jelica Ristić Ćirović, Senior Adviser at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development; Cyril Roger, Head of the Southeast Europe Department at Solidar Suisse; and Bojana Perović, Adviser at the Ministry of Youth and Sport.

At the end of the first Fair of School Career Guidance and Counselling Teams, an award was presented to the school team from the Medical School in Užice for its outstanding contribution to the development of career guidance and counselling services in secondary schools during the 2014/2015 school year. The award, in the amount of RSD 30,000, was presented by Ms Jelica Ristić Ćirović and Mr Cyril Roger.

“Through events like this, it is very important to publicly recognise the work of school career guidance and counselling teams, raise awareness among the wider public about the importance of this topic, and provide support to teachers who perform their work with great dedication and enthusiasm. The Commission had a very challenging task, but in the end we reached a unanimous decision,” said Ms Ristić Ćirović.

“Career guidance and counselling have been recognised in numerous European and national studies as an effective method for reducing unemployment rates, preventing early school leaving, and strengthening social inclusion. Therefore, we must work together to develop high-quality career guidance and counselling services that will contribute to the personal and professional development of students,” concluded Milorad Bjeletić, Executive Director of the Belgrade Open School.

The Fair was organised within the framework of the project “Advocating for Continuity in the Implementation of Career Guidance Policy in Serbia – KViS na BIS”, which aims to support the improvement of youth employability and lifelong learning by enhancing the sustainability and quality of the career guidance and counselling system. The project is implemented by the Career Guidance and Counselling Centre of the Belgrade Open School, with the support of Solidar Suisse/Swiss Labour Assistance (SLA) – Serbia Office.