The Office for Dual Education and the National Qualifications Framework, in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (CCS), organized a workshop to mark the Republic of Serbia's admission to WorldSkills Europe and the beginning of preparatory activities for Serbia's participation in the upcoming EuroSkills competition, which will be held in Denmark in September 2025.
The workshop took place on July 19, 2024, at the premises of the Office for Dual Education and the National Qualifications Framework. In addition to representatives from the Office and CCS, participants included representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Tourism and Youth, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (which supported Serbia’s membership as the 33rd member of the global WorldSkills movement), the Employers’ Union, the Qualifications Agency, the Institute for the Improvement of Education, and the community of secondary vocational schools.
During the introductory part of the workshop, participants were informed about the activities of WorldSkills Europe, the obligations arising from membership in the organization, and the expected positive impacts of Serbia’s participation in this global initiative, such as promoting vocational and dual education, improving the quality of vocational education, and aligning educational offerings with labor market needs.
Following this, the activities to be carried out in the preparation for the organization of the first national competition, SerbiaSkills, to be held in March 2025, were presented. Further steps will involve intensive preparation of the most successful competitors for participation in the EuroSkills competition, which will take place in Herning, Denmark, in September 2025.
Workshop participants from their respective institutions and organizations expressed their readiness to actively engage and contribute to the implementation of the announced activities, recognizing the significance of membership in WorldSkills Europe in promoting various professions, improving the enrollment of talented children and youth in secondary vocational schools and other vocational education and training programs, popularizing lifelong learning and development, and further enhancing the quality of vocational education. Special attention was given to the possibility of using the standards of skills that were defined as part of the WorldSkills competition, and to their implementation in the system of adult education in Serbia, which are also activities being carried out within the Erasmus+ project Implementation of Priorities of the European Agenda for Adult Learning.