The Steering Committee (SC) of the EU-funded project EU for Vocational Education and Skills Recognition in Bosnia and Herzegovina continues its active role. During a two-day session held on Bjelašnica Mountain on July 3 and 4, 2025, SC members unanimously adopted a series of key project materials, following constructive discussions and valuable suggestions. These materials are crucial for the project’s next phase.

“The project is currently developing a comprehensive set of documents related to vocational and technical education, tailored to the needs of all relevant education authorities. All of us have expressed readiness to support this project, which focuses not only on general needs but also on our individual and specific priorities. So far, we have completed action plans for secondary vocational education and adult education in five cantons, and today we presented and approved the guidelines for the remaining five,” explained Sudo Marić, Assistant Minister of Education in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton and a member of the SC. He added:

“I believe that all the documents developed through this project will be of great assistance to the competent education authorities in their day-to-day work and in improving their activities. In any case, they will help structure and improve the vocational education system.”

Among the presented and adopted materials was the Roadmap for Implementing the Methodology for Integrating Key Competences into the Vocational Education and Training (VET) System in BiH. This roadmap serves as a strategic tool for piloting the methodology in schools. It outlines clear steps, activities, required resources, and timelines to help transform traditional teaching practices into a competence-based model that integrates knowledge, skills, and attitudes in line with European standards. The session also covered the selection of pilot schools for testing this methodology, as well as the proposal for participants in the training of master trainers and quality coordinators.

Another important step was the adoption of the Programme for the Integration of Digital Competences, along with its accompanying action plan. This programme aims to help schools across BiH systematically incorporate digital competences into their education systems — competences that have become essential for individual success, labor market adaptability, and economic development in today’s digital society.

SC members were also presented with the Concept Paper for Quality Assurance Training in VET in BiH, alongside a list of training topics for future trainers and the selection criteria for three pilot locations identified by the Working Group on the Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning.

“The planned pilot activities are yet another example of how this project is responding to real needs on the ground. It doesn’t simply copy solutions from elsewhere or impose them in a system where they may not fit. Instead, the pilots will show whether we’re on the right track, whether the solutions are appropriate, or whether they need to be adapted to make sense — to be relevant, meaningful, and effective in our context. The ultimate goal is to produce documents that are actually useful,” concluded Sudo Marić.

The meeting on Bjelašnica also served as a platform to present and discuss upcoming activities and plans across all project components, which the Steering Committee reviewed thoroughly and approved.

The EU for Vocational Education and Skills Recognition project aims to strengthen the institutional framework for enhancing vocational education and training (VET) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Project activities focus on introducing key competences — including digital and entrepreneurial skills — into the formal VET sector, as well as developing systems for the recognition of work-based skills in BiH in line with EU standards.