Belgrade Open School(BOS) organized the Fair of School Teams for Career Guidance and Counseling for the third year in a row, on March 31st 2017, in Belgrade, with the partnership support of the Solidar Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development.
The fair brought together 16 of the best high school teams for career guidance and counseling from all over Serbia, as well as other interested representatives from high schools and other institutions and organizations, so that they could share experiences and, by doing so, improve their work in this area. The fair was also supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sport and the Tempus office in Serbia – Euroguidance centre.
The fair was opened by Jelena Manić Radoičić from the Belgrade Open School, and introductory statements were also made by: Slavica Rakić from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Ana Stojanović from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Zorica Labudović standing for the Ministry of Youth and Sport and Olivera Stepanović on behalf of Solidar Suisse/Swiss Labour Assistance (SLA) – Office in Serbia.
Zorica Labudović pointed out that career guidance and counseling is an integral part of modern education systems, and the importance of a successful cooperation with the Belgrade Open School and other actors working on the implementation of the Career Guidance and Counseling Strategy. ‘’The latest research data that the Ministry conducted shows that 24.5% of young people have gone through career guidance and counseling, which is a significantly higher figure than in previous years’’, Labudović pointed out. Slavica Rakić emphasized the support the Ministry of Education provides for the development of career guidance and counseling in schools, and commended the presenters on their enthusiasm in supporting pupils and parents.
After the visitors of the fair saw the presenters’ work, the five-member commission consisting of Tatijana Glišić Milutinović, the Institute for the Improvement of Education, Ana Stojanović, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Slavica Rakić, Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Ivana Vulić, Euroguidance Centar and Jelena Manić Radoičić (BOS), visited all the stands and got acquainted with the school teams’ work. The commission had the task to, based on the submitted Plans and programs for career guidance and counseling, reports on implemented activities in the current school year, as well as the schools’ presentations during the Fair, choose the most active school team of the ongoing school year 2016/2017. The main criteria the Commission used was in accordance with the recommendations for the Career Guidance and Counseling Service Standards, and it covered four key areas: the quality of the CGC Plan and Program; Diversity and scope of implemented CGC activities, especially the activities’ focus on developing career management skills and inclusion of pupils from vulnerable groups; Resources and partnerships, and the school team’s Capacities.
The Commission gave first place to the team from Politehnička school from Kragujevac, which stood out with its proactive attitude and its involvement of the economic sector, and with the variety of activities for its students from vulnerable groups who they recognized in their Plan and program, and successfully realized in cooperation with a great number of partners from the economic, public and civil sectors. The first prize in the amount of 30,000 dinars and a study trip to Austria, was given by Olivera Stepanović and Jelena Manić Radoičić. Second place went to the ''Branko Radičević" Gimnazija (Grammar School) from Stara Pazova, and the award in the amount of 10,000 dinars and a study trip to Slovenia was awarded by Slavica Rakić. To our great pleasure, because of the great number of high-quality presenters, the study trip to Slovenia award was also given to the Hemijsko-Tehnološka school (School of Chemistry and Technology) from Subotica, who won third place, while the ,,Dragačevo'' High School, fourth place winners, received an opportunity to participate in the international seminar dedicated to CGC innovations, organized by the Euroguidance network.
You can see the brochure about the presenters at the Fair of School Teams for Career Guidance and Counseling in 2016/2017 HERE.
The Fair was realized within the Quality services for greater youth employability - KVIS na BIS, with the financial support of the Solidar Suisse/Swiss Labour Assistance (SLA) – Office in Serbia.