The visit was financially supported by the governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Province of Schleswig-Holstein with the aim of presenting and exchanging experiences and good practices in the field of policies related to supporting youth, members of national minorities, overcoming obstacles in the educational system and moving from the world of education to the world of work. In that respect, the Province developed the programme of support for youth from vulnerable groups of population with the aim of fostering their skills related to vocational education and employment, inter alia through direct access to dual education, which should facilitate entry into professional life. The participation in this programme is voluntary and free of charge. It is intended to provide support to pupils in planning their professional future by learning more about their own capacities and making informed decisions, which should result in taking responsibility for their future careers. In the period 13-18 May 2019, the German Organisation for International Cooperation - GIZ organised a study visit for relevant institutions and organisations that participated in or advocated for minority support programmes in Kiel, the capital of the German Province of Schleswig-Holstein, well-known, even outside Germany, for its successful inclusive minority policy. Over the past decades, the Province has implemented many projects and measures to support vulnerable groups, especially in the field of career guidance and counselling for the purpose of continuation of their education and employment.
The legal framework in the field of dual education has recently been established in Serbia. Among other things, it has introduced novelties regarding the structure and networking of school teams for career guidance and counselling, while taking into account the specific characteristics of dual education system. On the other hand, pupils from vulnerable groups often need additional support in terms of career guidance and counselling because of their specific situation and obstacles they face during their professional development. The need was recognised to develop a brochure in order to provide guidance to career guidance and counselling teams in the secondary school implementing dual educational programmes. The brochure would enable representatives of Serbian institutions to learn about positive and specific knowledge, methods and experiences from Schleswig-Holstein, as well as to get acquainted with institutions, models and ways of working with vulnerable groups in that province, which would contribute to the establishment and implementation of the standards of career guidance and counselling for young people in Serbia.
Despite the fact that the problems encountered by the Roma national minority in the province of Schleswig-Holstein are more or less similar to those in Serbia, the study visit has revealed that the measures of support for young people in acquiring vocational qualifications and getting vocational training are successful because of the individual approach to pupils, focused on the potentials of each of them.
In addition to Praxis representatives, Jasmina Miković and Marija Dražović, the study group consisted to representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, the Institute for the Improvement of Education, the National Employment Service, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the Union of Employers, the Kragujevac City School Administration, the Secondary Vocational School in Kragujevac, Inventiva Centre - Association for the Development of Vocational Orientation, the Educational and Cultural Community of Roma “Romanipen” from Kragujevac, the Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the German Corporation for International Cooperation - GIZ and the European Center for Minority Issues (ECMI) from Germany.
Pored predstavnica Praxisa, Jasmine Miković i Marije Dražović, studijsku grupu su činili i predstavnici Ministarstva prosvete, nauke i tehnološkog razvoja, Zavoda za unapređivanje obrazovanja i vaspitanja, Nacionalne službe za zapošljavanje, Privredne komore Srbije, Unije poslodavaca, Školske uprave grada Kragujevca, Srednje stručne škole u Kragujevcu, Centra Inventiva - Udruženja za razvoj profesionalne orijentacije, Obrazovno-kulturne zajednice Roma „Romanipen“ iz Kragujevca, Tim za socijlano uključivanje i smanjenje siromaštva Vlade RS, Nemačke organizacije za međunarodnu saradnju GIZ i Evropskog centra za pitanje manjina (ECMI) iz Nemačke.
