19. March 2015.

EDUCATION AND JOBS FAIR IN BANJA LUKA ON FRIDAY: LEARN, EXPLORE AND NETWORK

The Office of the EU Special Representative in BiH (EUSR) and the Norwegian Embassy to BiH are pleased to announce the ‘Education and Jobs Fair: Learn – Explore – Network’, which will ...

The Office of the EU Special Representative in BiH (EUSR) and the Norwegian Embassy to BiH are pleased to announce the ‘Education and Jobs Fair: Learn – Explore – Network’, which will be held on 20 March in the Borik Sports Hall in Banja Luka.

The Fair is the continuation of activities under the framework of Compact for Growth and Jobs. The first Education and Jobs Fair held in November 2014 in Zenica was the first event of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina and remarkable results were achieved: the Fair attracted 8,000 people from across the country and 863 people found employment as a result of activities organised during and after the Fair.

The Education and Jobs Fair in Banja Luka will allow participants to learn how to identify and develop their own talents, explore opportunities that may already be available to them and begin to establish networks that may be of use to them in the future.
With the help of partners from Banja Luka, the Fair will present more than 1,000 job openings and offer lectures on a host of employment related topics.
The Banja Luka Fair will also introduce a number of innovations:

  • Testing will take place for certain jobs and professions.
  • Job matching will be done on the spot.
  • “CV Clinic”, “Hot Seat” and “Brand Yourself” workshops will be available.
  • “Photo Corner” for those wishing to have photo for their CV will be on hand.

After the Fair, an online application will be developed that will map the needs and opportunities of education and employment, implementation of active employment policies, professional orientation, training and re-training, and monitoring and updating information on job seekers and those who have been hired.

The Fair will be opened by:

H.E. Vibeke Lilloe, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dr Renzo Daviddi, Chargé d’affaires of the EU Delegation to BiH

Mr Slobodan Gavranovic, Mayor of Banja Luka

Opening remarks will be open to media on

Friday, 20 March 2015, at 11:30 hrs

Borik Hall, Banja Luka

Media representatives are cordially invited to cover the event and are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes early.

Background to the Fair

The urgent need for socio-economic reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina was highlighted at the Forum for Prosperity and Jobs held in May 2014 in Sarajevo. Forum participants – including representatives from academic, government, political, banking and business circles, as well as labour – identified six major economic reform areas. Their recommendations in each of these areas were endorsed by the international financial institutions and the European Union. Extensive consultations and further discussion with experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina and other transition countries resulted in the Compact for Growth and Jobs, which was published in July. The Compact recommends priorities for the new authorities to consider. The international community is ready to help implement this initiative, which can kick-start the stalled process of boosting investment, creating jobs and raising living standards in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Within the message “Gledaj od čega ćeš živjet” and with the support of the EU Special Representative’s Office and the Norwegian Embassy, a consultative expert meeting was organised in Banja Luka and a Jobs Fair was held in Zenica, both in the context of the Compact.

Building on the overwhelming success in Zenica, The Banja Luka Fair aims to include close to 200 exhibitors in Borik and to host some 10.000 visitors from across BiH. Businesses, institutions and international projects, relevant institutional stakeholders, NGOs, the business community of BiH, employment agencies, universities, that either work on the development of the BiH business environment, labour and educational systems, or which are recruiting new talent, will be invited to occupy stands and to make presentations in a number of dedicated pavilions across the Borik.

Stands will be organised according to category:

  • BUSINESS – manufacturing, creative, services, IT, employment of marginalized groups
  • BUSINESS AGENTS – Posao.ba, Boljiposao.com and SPEKTAR
  • EDUCATION – local and international programmes in the formal and non-formal education sector

For more information on the Compact for Growth and Jobs: http://europa.ba/Live.aspx?lang=EN

Compact for Growth and Jobs: Education and Jobs fair in Banja Luka – video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF7TnI-xLP0&feature=youtu.be