In Bosnia and Herzegovina, young people and youth organizations face many challenges almost daily, and youth officers are there to provide them with help and support to overcome these challenges. Improving the position and promoting the role of youth officers is one of the priorities of the Institute for Youth Development KULT, because the position of young people can only be improved if we all work together.
Elvir Sinanović completed the basic and advanced training for youth officers organized by the Institute for Youth Development KULT. He works as an Expert Associate for Youth, Sports and NGOs in the City Administration of Živinice. He graduated from the Faculty of Criminalistics, Criminology, and Security Studies of the University of Sarajevo with a master’s degree in criminology. He is also a researcher in his field. He likes football, sport climbing and alpinism.
He credits formal education for significantly shaping his career path and enhancing his creativity, research skills, communication abilities, and work ethic.
He describes how the training course helped him in his work with young people: “The Institute’s training courses mean a lot to me in my work with young people. The training is designed to equip participants with a comprehensive understanding of youth work. It emphasizes improving communication skills, interactive work, understanding young people’s issues and needs, and finding solutions.”
The Institute’s trainings are not the only form of non-formal education Elvir engaged in – he also attended other trainings focused on youth issues.
During his basic training as a youth officer with the Institute, Elvir launched an initiative to include grants for youth projects in the City of Živinice’s budget. Thanks to this initiative, for the past three years, the City of Živinice has been awarding funds to young people through a public call with clearly defined criteria. This process did not exist in Živinice prior to Elvir’s initiative.
“Introducing a public call for funding youth projects ensured transparency and non-discrimination in budget allocation, led to the establishment of a youth associations list, and facilitated the implementation of many projects in the fields of culture, education, ecology, sports, and more. This initiative also boosted youth activism and led to higher quality projects in the entire local community,” says Elvir.
Describing the process that led to these results, he says: “After I launched the initiative to introduce grants for young people, the Mayor of Živinice, Dr. Samir Kamenjaković, the City Administration and the City Council fully supported the establishment of this institutional mechanism for young people. After the youth item was included in the budget and adopted, the City prepared a draft rulebook for allocating funds, in line with the existing standards. I’m particularly pleased to note that during the Mayor’s Youth Council session, young people from our local community actively participated in drafting the regulations for allocating budget funds, including the selection criteria and monitoring of project implementation.
Elvir also noted that formal education curricula are not able to fully meet the needs and interests of young people and must be complemented by informal education programs implemented by NGOs.
“Young people need informal education with flexible programs tailored to their needs, providing specific knowledge and skills that formal education doesn’t cover. This is especially important considering the misalignment of formal education and young people’s current social development and interests,” says Elvir.
When asked about his plans for the future as a youth officer, Elvir says: “The City of Živinice has established almost all institutional mechanisms for youth, which are necessary for the successful implementation of youth policies and the Youth Strategy of the Municipality of Živinice. As a youth officer, I plan to launch an initiative to establish the Youth Council of the City of Živinice. This will promote greater participation and involvement of young people in decision-making processes. I will also work to ensure suitable spaces for young people to spend their free time and meet their other needs.”
His message to young people is this: “Young people are the ones building the future of every society. They are a resource and they drive innovation. That’s why they have to invest in their own education, be mobile and socially active, participate in all social processes, and contribute to creating positive social values. This is the only way they can feel truly satisfied with their lives and understand and engage with the world around them.”
Youth officers are required to undergo professional training and development. They are intermediaries between the government and young people and ensure that youth receive appropriate support.
The Institute for Youth Development KULT designs and delivers youth officer training courses and certified courses for expert youth work associates employed in city, municipal, and cantonal administrations. The training program consists of basic and advanced training. The basic training program qualifies participants to fulfill the duties of an expert on youth issues in public administration. Participants are expected to meet the criteria from the Rulebook on training procedures and certification of youth officers. Advanced training is available to individuals who have completed the basic training program and received a certificate. The advanced training builds on their skills and provides further professional development. The basic youth officer training program consists of multiple modules and lasts a total of 120 hours.
The Institute issues certificates to participants who complete the basic and advanced training courses.
You can find more information about youth worker training courses here: https://s.mladi.org/sluzbenicizamlade.
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