Belgrade Open School organised the ninth Career Guidance and Counselling Fair, in cooperation with the National Association of Youth Offices and with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Youth. The event brought together representatives of schools, youth offices, and civil society organisations implementing various career guidance and counselling (CGC) activities aimed at supporting young people in acquiring skills, knowledge, and competencies that improve their position on the labour market.

In addition to the competitive segment, the ninth Fair provided an opportunity for discussion and exchange of good practices in supporting young people in NEET situations (young people not in employment, education, or training). This was addressed through the panel discussion titled “Career in Focus: Career Options in Line with Young People’s Needs, Youth Entrepreneurship, and Young People in NEET Situations.” The panel highlighted the importance of youth entrepreneurship, pointed out the barriers and challenges faced by young entrepreneurs, and provided insights into available support mechanisms for young people in achieving career development and professional goals.

The competitive segment of the Fair brought together 16 teams from across Serbia, who presented their activities aimed at developing skills that enhance youth employability. Representatives of schools, youth offices, and civil society organisations from Bač, Vlasotince, Ruski Krstur, Subotica, Novi Pazar, Užice, Niš, Knjaževac, Ivanjica, Leskovac, Stara Pazova, and Belgrade competed for awards in three categories.

The jury, composed of Jelena Manić Radoičić (national CGC expert), Milena Mirić and Ramona Bacelj (Euroguidance Centre), Lazar Jovanović (Serbian Chamber of Commerce), Ivana Čvorović Plavšić (Qualifications Agency), and Marina Lukić (Belgrade Open School), awarded prizes to the best teams. The award in the category of diversity of career guidance and counselling services was won by the Seventh Belgrade Grammar School. The award for innovation in career guidance and counselling was given to the “Vojislav-Lale Stefanović” Music School from Užice, while the award for cooperation in the field of career guidance and counselling was awarded to the Technical School from Vlasotince.

The Fair was organised within the project “Cooperation for Quality: Accessible Career Guidance and Counselling Services for All!”, implemented by the Belgrade Open School in partnership with the National Association of Youth Offices, with financial support from the Ministry of Tourism and Youth.