Organized by the Regional Chamber of Commerce of the South Bačka Administrative District, a promotion of the national model of dual education was held within which a new educational profile was presented – mechatronics technician, which was activated by the Regional Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with Neofyton d.o.o. and Adecco d.o.o. from Novi Sad.
Dina Vučinić a member of the City Council for Education addressed those present at the event and pointed out that the City is working on merging representatives of the economy and education and that, in cooperation with the relevant ministry and other relevant factors, it will continue to improve dual education so that the young would be able to acquire significant competencies and find employment easier.
“Our goal is for young people to live and work in Novi Sad, and we are actively working to make education the pillar of our country’s economic development, for which we allocate six billion dinars from the City budget.” In April this year, we made a plan for enrolling students in high schools in the territory of the City of Novi Sad, for the school year 2021/2022. This document is based on real needs of the economic development of the local community, and thus a perspective has been created for students to find their professional engagement more easily after graduating from high school. Also there are successful companies that do business in our city and that in demand for certain professional profiles. I am very glad that some of them have expressed the need and interest to join the dual education program, because in this way our students get the opportunity to enter the companies during their formal education and get acquainted with the real work” said Mrs. Dina Vucinic.
She pointed out the research data that show that about 70 percent of students who attended dual education found a job in the profession for which they were educated, and that more than every third student remained to work for the company where he was trained after school. The Regional Chamber of Commerce of the Južnobački administrative district is the most successful chamber in the realization of dual education. That success is reflected in the realization of the largest number of educational profiles, areas of work and the number of accredited companies in partnership with businessmen and high schools.
According to the director of the Regional Chamber of Commerce, Olivera Simović, although dual education was not initially accepted as a model that would give good results, many companies have thus gained staff who are of great benefit to them and helps in further progress and their development. She explained that the initiative for the introduction of dual education came from the economy, which for years pointed out that there was a shortage of staff in certain profiles, as well as that there was a discrepancy between the qualification someone gained and what that person knows how to do. It happened that the training that student had to acquire through education was at the expense of the employer.
“The Chamber of Commerce of Serbia has the powers entrusted by law for the implementation of dual education. Every year, based on the statements of intent of businessmen we prepare a proposal that we send to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, and based on that the Ministry prepares enrollment for the next school year. The Chamber of Commerce also determines the fulfillment of conditions for learning through the work of the so-called accreditation, keeps public records and performs other tasks “, said Olivera Simović and invited all businessmen to apply for the profiles they need for work by November 30.
The promotion was held in the Neofyton business premises and attended by representatives of the most successful high schools in the dual education system and representatives of companies involved in the process of dual education in the South Bačka administrative district. Welcoming the present, the director of the company “Neofyton” Zoran Tadic pointed out that five years ago the representatives of that company in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce launched an initiative to activate dual education in several directions, believing that the future of Serbian industry is not only in new technologies but also in education of young and quality people.
The new profile – mechatronics technician was introduced in the high school of electrical engineering “Mihajlo Pupin” in Novi Sad, and the headmaster of the school Ermedin Elezović pointed out earlier successes for three-year profiles that are already in the dual education system.
Dual education is a model of secondary vocational education in which, in addition to theoretical and practical teaching in school, knowledge and skills are acquired and improved through work with employers.
Through practical work, students apply their knowledge acquired in school and thus become more competitive in the labor market. On the other hand, companies get trained staff ready to get involved in business processes quickly and easily.
Dual education means that students stay in the company for two to three days a week with financial compensation and compliance with all regulations on safety and health at work.
Every year, the expansion of dual education to new profiles is considered, depending on the interests and needs of the economy. In this way, education is put in the function of growth and development of the economy
Employers’ application for admission of students according to the dual model of education for the next school year 2022/2023. year is open. Employers who want to take a new generation of students can apply through the web portal of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce
www.portal.dualnoobrazovanje.rs/
The application is open until November 30, 2021.
