Bosnia and Herzegovina 2023

The Torino Process monitoring results for Bosnia and Herzegovina suggest that VET in all parts of the country struggles with access and attractiveness. A closer look reveals that IVET and CVET face distinct challenges. Although CVET programs are available through both public and private institutions, working-age adults usually only enrol when required by their jobs. This trend mirrors the global pattern where IVET tends to be more appealing and accessible. However, both VET subsystems have limited success in encouraging learner participation, which indicates that there is significant room for improvement.

Adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina face significant challenges in participating in educational programs tailored to their age group. Unfortunately, this is not confined to VET but affects various adult learning opportunities as well, including those linked to active labour market policies. Although participation in non-formal education is somewhat higher, the area is held back by poorly developed systems for recognising prior learning. Overall, the cost of lifelong learning programs is high and often shouldered by learners, which contributes to the low rate of participation.

Learners who do enter VET programs, however, can expect to receive strong support. Dropout rates are low, and learners are able to move smoothly from one stage of education to another if they wish to do so. However, they may find it difficult to transition to parallel educational tracks or apply their skills in different contexts. This limited flexibility in moving between VET and other educational pathways suggests that once learners are within the VET system, they may face significant barriers to exploring alternative opportunities.

There are challenges in delivering quality education to both young and adult learners in VET. Many VET students struggle with basic literacy and numeracy, particularly in three-year programs where functional illiteracy is common. While adults tend to possess basic skills, their proficiency in these areas is often lower than that of adults in other countries participating in the Torino Process, on average. Employers particularly note gaps in foreign language, digital, and social skills. 

Work-based is at varying stages of development across the country. However, employability of VET graduates remains a concern everywhere. Bosnia and Herzegovina significantly lags behind the international average in terms of the employability of its VET learners. Long-term unemployment is relatively common even for those who have completed pragmatically oriented, 3-year IVET programmes. Although career guidance in VET is robust, translating learning into viable careers is still a challenge.

Efforts are being made to improve the relevance and quality of VET, such as through increased industry collaboration and enhanced practical training. Bosnia and Herzegovina is gradually integrating green skills into curricula, though more progress is needed in the area of digitalisation. Overall, VET across the country could benefit from better alignment between responses to short-term challenges and strategic, long-term needs.

The VET system in Bosnia and Herzegovina shows mixed results in terms of organisational efficiency. Relevant institutions are relatively effective in collecting, managing, and using data, though this remains the weakest area. Gaps in participation in international assessments and limited data on enrolment rates hinder evidence-based decision-making and reduce transparency. 

Engagement from the private sector and other stakeholders in VET decision-making is moderate and largely driven by international projects, such as ERASMUS+ of the EU. However, collaboration, especially between VET and higher education agencies, remains insufficient. Public accountability and quality assurance practices need improvement, and the VET system could benefit from greater international exposure on the level of practitioners and providers.

The leadership of VET providers is strong, with skilled professionals in key roles. However, challenges remain in human resource management on lower levels of staffing. Also, for school leaders, the recruitment process is not standardized. Inadequate training for teachers and school leaders negatively impacts overall education development.

While financial resources for VET are substantial, the materials available for learning are often inadequate. Many textbooks are outdated, IT equipment is lacking, and there are disparities in spending across regions, underscoring the need for better or at least better coordinated resource allocation. Recent efforts to improve infrastructure and digitalisation are promising, but additional investment is necessary, especially in smaller cities and localities.