"Work-based learning - a partnership between schools and companies" roundtable was held on April 13th, 2018 at Polytechnical school in Kragujevac. The event was organized by Business Development Center Kragujevac (RBCK), in cooperation with Belgrade Open School and within the "Let's speak about negotiations" project. We used the occasion to discuss the current challenges youth is facing in the labor market and youth mobility in general. 

Among the participants of the roundtable were representatives of the local authorities, school district Kragujevac and representatives of local enterprises. Marija Stojadinovic, on behalf of RBCK, Sinisa Kojic, principal of the Polytechnical school, Djordje Kosovac, a mentor for interns in the Sunce Marinkovic company, Branko Peric, trainer for mentors and author of the Handbook for mentors and companies, and Natalija Golovic, on behalf of Belgrade Open School greeted the attendees. The focus of the discussion was the importance of internships, through the point of view of both employers and students/interns. 
Summer internships, a project launched by RBCK, were recognized during the event as a programme that gives good results and that should further grow and improve in the future. Both interns and companies who took part in the programme expressed their desire for the project to continue.
For students who participated in this programme, the main benefit was gaining practical experience through application of knowledge gathered through formal education. On the other hand, employers had an opportunity to train successfully future workers who can then actively contribute to the future development of their enterprises. 
Business Development Center Kragujevac is one of the five organizations that BOS cooperates with within the "Let's speak about negotiations" project. The main goal of the project is to inform the citizens on the accession process of Serbia to EU, by simultaneously raising their capacities to actively participate in the process.

The "Let's speak about negotiations" project is implemented by BOS since 2013, with the goal of active contribution to Europeanisation of Serbia through a transparent and responsible process of negotiations on accession to EU, through a partnership between civil society and public authorities. The project is supported by the Open Society Foundation, Serbia.