AUSTRIAN MODEL OF DUAL EDUCATION TO BE APPLIED IN SERBIA

11. February 2016.

Belgrade – Srdjan Verbic, the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, and Sebastian Kurz, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria, signed a Memorandum on Cooperation in the field of development of the elements of dual education at secondary vocational schools in Serbia. The document, which will have a significant influence on the reduction of youth unemployment in Serbia, was signed by the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (CCS) Marko Cadez and the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Austria Christoph Leitl.

Minister Verbic said that dual education was a great form of public-private partnership that involved cooperation between companies and schools at all levels, not only at the level of secondary vocational schools, but also at that of primary schools and faculties. The Minister pointed out that fewer students should be trained for providing services, while more of them should be trained in the fields of engineering and crafts. He also said that a large number of students were interested in schools of economics.

Mr. Cadez explained that the Austrian companies operating in Serbia, which had already gained experience in that kind of education, could provide the strongest support to the implementation of the project. The development of a new profile, the one of a forwarder, had been planned, while the profiles of a bank clerk and shop-assistant would undergo changes. He also said that dual education would contribute to making young people from Serbia competitive on the EU market and that the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia was, at that moment, focused on identifying the occupations that the Serbian economy needed, noting that the entire process would be completed in two to three weeks.

Mr. Leitl said that Austria would do its best to make Serbia become the best example of dual education in Europe. He also said that Europe was facing a major problem of youth unemployment, while the countries that had dual education didn’t have such a problem. He underscored that the best way of combating youth unemployment was by a combination of training received both at companies and schools.

Source: Info Center South and Coordination Body