Belgrade Open School organised the second Fair of School Career Guidance and Counselling Teams. The Fair was organised in 2016, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, and Solidar Suisse/Swiss Labour Assistance (SLA) – Serbia Office.

The event was held at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia and brought together 20 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 Vesna Đukić, Director of the Belgrade Open School; Mirjana Kovačević, Director of the Centre for Education at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia; Snežana Klašnja, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Youth and Sport; and Nikola Mikašinović, Programme Coordinator at Solidar Suisse.

“Career guidance and counselling is a process of supporting young people’s development throughout their growth and lives, helping them understand themselves, recognise their abilities, wishes and interests, and obtain relevant information on where they can find suitable education and employment opportunities. It helps them make the right decisions at the end of primary and secondary school, as well as when enrolling in higher education,” said Ms Klašnja.

Ms Mirjana Kovačević highlighted the importance of establishing direct cooperation between schools and the business sector at the local level, stating:

“Career guidance and counselling helps young people choose the occupation they want to pursue, understand what different jobs involve, which knowledge and skills are required, what they should pay attention to, as well as what employers are looking for. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia wants to respond to employers’ needs regarding their workforce requirements. We want to support young people, schools and employers.”

At the end of the opening remarks, Vesna Đukić addressed the participants on behalf of the Belgrade Open School and emphasised:

“For more than ten years, BOS has been working on the development of the career guidance and counselling system and innovative methods in this field. The Fair itself is one of the mechanisms aimed at supporting schools in the process of improving these services at the local level.”

Following the opening remarks, the four-member commission, consisting of Marko Banković from the Euroguidance Centre, Ivana Kovačević from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Jelica Ristić Ćirović from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, and Jelena Manić Radoičić, visited all stands and met with representatives of the school teams. The commission’s task was to select the most active school team for the 2015/2016 school year based on the submitted Career Guidance and Counselling Plans, presentations and materials. The main criteria for the selection included the quality of the school Career Guidance and Counselling Programme/Plan, the quality of implemented activities, and the establishment of cooperation with local partners.

At the end of the second Fair of School Career Guidance and Counselling Teams, an award was presented to the school team from the School of Economics and Trade in Požarevac for its outstanding contribution to the development of career guidance and counselling services in secondary schools during the 2015/2016 school year. The School of Economics and Trade particularly stood out for its proactive approach, involvement of the business sector, and diverse activities for students included in its Career Guidance and Counselling Work Plan. The award, in the amount of RSD 30,000, was presented by Ms Jelica Ristić Ćirović.

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 II”, with financial support from Solidar Suisse/Swiss Labour Assistance (SLA) – Serbia Office.