Youth officers provide crucial support and assistance to youth organizations and young individuals, helping them navigate daily challenges. The Institute for Youth Development KULT is dedicated to enhancing the role and promoting the services provided by youth officers so we can work together to improve the social standing of youth.
Enisa Mešetović is a certified Youth Officer and Expert Youth Work Associate. She graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Sarajevo and gained her first work experience as an intern at the Public Institution “Cultural-Sports Center and Radio Ilijaš,” where she worked as a journalist covering culture.
Enisa has been involved in youth work since 2010 and played a key role in founding the Informal Youth Group in Ilijaš municipality, which focused on implementing projects intended for young people. In 2012, she joined the Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) at the United Nations Population Fund in BiH (UNFPA), and since 2013, she has been working as a volunteer/researcher at the Center for Political Studies. In the same year, she became the president of the youth advisory committee in the municipal mayor’s office. Her experience working with young people continued through her role at the Youth Organization “Seize the Day – Carpe Diem,” where she served as the project coordinator and PR officer. Since 2018, she has been employed at the Municipality of Ilijaš as an Expert Associate for Education, Youth Affairs, and the NGO Sector. A few years later, she was promoted to Expert Advisor. Driven by a desire to make changes in her local community, she has participated in numerous domestic, regional, and international conferences, workshops, and programs focused on youth policy, project proposal writing, improving the position of women in society, and promoting volunteerism. She is the editor of “Ilijaške novine,” the first newsletter for the youth of Ilijaš, a participant in the MentoRING program, a promoter of several literary works, and the official MC of formal ceremonies and important events in the municipality of Ilijaš.
Enisa says that her first serious encounter with youth activism happened in the third grade of high school. As a student at the Secondary Center “Nedžad Ibrišimović,” she participated in the Civitas project “Citizen” through the Civic Education course.
“We won the municipal competition and then won again at the Sarajevo Canton level, so we had the opportunity to participate in the national competition, which was held in Brčko. I really enjoyed all the activities in the project—the research process, group work, competitions, informal learning, and, of course, socializing with my peers,” says Enisa. She adds that she uses this example to emphasize the importance of combining formal and informal education in our schools.
When it comes to formal education, she says: “During my university days, the focus was on studying and passing exams. However, some courses gave me the opportunity to write research papers and volunteer. When I graduated from university, I was faced with the harsh reality of the labor market and it was very difficult to get that first year of work experience. This was followed by a master’s degree, and the topic of my master’s thesis (Youth policy: Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European context) was inspired by my love for working with and for young people, my informal education and activism. I am very proud of the final result and the work done on youth policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition to formal education, which is essential for working as a civil servant and advancing in the field, informal education has equally shaped my career path and who I am today.”
Anisa attended two training courses – the training for youth workers, followed by the training for youth officers, both delivered by the Institute for Youth Development KULT. She says it’s impossible to talk about the training for youth workers and expert youth work associates without feeling emotional: “As a member of the ‘Seize the Day – Carpe Diem’ youth organization, I had the opportunity to represent Ilijaš, alongside a colleague, at a training session for youth workers. This training was life-changing for me. As I moved from module to module and learned from top experts in the field, I realized that I wanted to dedicate my entire life to working with young people. Friendships with the wonderful young people who participated in the training with me are a valuable asset, both personally and professionally.”
Enisa believes that the knowledge and experience she gained during this training were very important for her self-confidence. However, it was the training for youth officers that saw her take a new step in her professional development, but also left her with a great responsibility: “I applied to the Public Call as an individual, and because of the rules for applicants, I requested and received the endorsement for the application from the municipal mayor Akif Fazlić. During that period, I was active in a youth organization, and this training gave me the chance to improve my skills in working with young people from a civil servant’s perspective. I wanted to demonstrate that civil servants can play a significant role in improving the position of youth in their local communities. Through five modules, the assignments, study visits and the final written exam, the training met all my expectations and prepared me for future work in the public sector as a youth officer.”
In addition to everything she learned, Enisa values the great team of youth workers who were part of her cohort and with whom she has collaborated for five years. These are people who work in similar roles across various municipalities in BiH, so it was reassuring for Enisa to know that she can reach out for help, advice, and support or to share ideas and implement projects with fellow youth officers and workers. Enisa also attended two advanced training courses for youth workers.
Thanks to her work as a youth worker, Ilijaš Municipality adopted its third Youth Strategy, along with an action plan for 2023-2028. Enisa says that she is very happy with this document and the goals defined for the next five years. The process of creating this document differed from the previous ones in several ways: “One example is organizing a Youth Dialogue with the government, in collaboration with the Institute for Youth Development KULT. This innovative approach engaged young people in the public discussion on the proposed Strategy document. Another change is the development of a plan for evaluating and monitoring the implementation of the document. It often happens that strategic documents are adopted but never implemented, and there is a lack of follow-up on evaluating the goals and projects. In collaboration with the Institute, we will soon appoint a Working Group to oversee the monitoring and evaluation of the Strategy, and to develop an action plan with indicators. Our goal is to present the projects and activities implemented from the action plan to the Ilijaš Municipal Council and the youth in our local community at the end of each year.”
Many steps were taken to achieve these results: “When we started the project of developing the Youth Strategy for the Municipality of Ilijaš, our primary goal was to get a document based on the real needs and opinions of the youth in Ilijaš. Without clear indicators and data, further work on the document would be pointless. That’s why we chose the Institute for Youth Development KULT. They conducted a survey and analysis of the needs and problems of the youth in Ilijaš Municipality, which served as the foundation for preparing the strategic document. After the survey was completed, the analysis and results were presented to the public. I was motivated by a strong desire to collaborate with the Institute in creating a comprehensive Youth Strategy for Ilijaš Municipality. As often happens when you’re so determined and driven, new opportunities emerged, and the Institute issued a public call for support in conducting a survey and drafting a youth strategy. Our application was approved, and we began working together on this process, which was quick and efficient, largely thanks to the expertise of the Institute’s staff.”
Enisa especially highlights the strong support of municipal mayor Akif Fazlić, who recognized the importance of the project from the beginning and entrusted the creation of the document entirely to the young people, their ideas, and their needs.
The Municipality of Ilijaš also applied to the public call issued by the FBIH Ministry of Culture and Sports with the project “Improving the Position of Young People through the Development of a Youth Strategy for Ilijaš Municipality with an Action Plan for 2023-2028,” and received funding. In 2022, the South East Europe Resource Center SALTO announced a public call for local self-government units interested in participating in the pilot phase of the Europe Goes Local initiative in the Western Balkans for 2022-2023. One of the project’s goals is to foster the development of strategies for engaging with young people in selected municipalities, both within the European platform and at the local level, in alignment with EU programs and opportunities. Following the public call and selection process, Ilijaš Municipality was chosen as one of 14 local communities from Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in this project.
Enisa believes that young people are not the problem but the solution. They are the present but also the future of each local community. She notes that while young people are eager to learn and engage, they are primarily focused on formal education and academic responsibilities. She emphasizes the need for youth officials and local governments to acknowledge this and find effective ways to encourage youth activism and informal activities.
“It’s crucial that we teach young people to voice their opinions and ideas confidently and to feel empowered to contact their local government for information about their rights and opportunities. Very often, young people are not familiar with what the local community has to offer so they don’t really feel like taking action. In my work, I try to connect with them as closely as possible, ensuring they have access to all the information they need. I try to be seen as a supportive friend they can turn to for advice and help,” says Enisa.
When asked what motivates her most in working with and for young people, Enisa explains that it’s her commitment to improving the quality of life for the youth in Ilijaš. As a young person who had the opportunity to learn about working with youth and the lives of young people in various EU countries, she wanted to share those experiences with her local community. Her goal was to provide young people in her municipality with the same opportunities and prospects as their peers in the EU. Although many consider it impossible, she believes that by taking small but steady steps and writing positive stories in local communities, we are also creating a better BiH for young people. She is particularly proud that the Municipality of Ilijaš is recognized for this work and that she received an award from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s youth umbrella organizations (FBiH Youth Council, BD BiH Youth Council, and RS Youth Council) as a leader in supporting the development of young people’s potential at the national level. She says the award came as a recognition of the long-term efforts of the local administration and validated the innovation and motivation she brought back from study trips and training. Despite the negative statistics, particularly concerning the departure and unemployment of young people, she believes it’s crucial to focus on examples of good practice. Showing that young people are hardworking and active and that there are local communities prioritizing youth and education can offer hope and inspiration.
Enisa plans to continue working diligently with the local community to provide a variety of opportunities for young people. Activities are currently underway to establish the Youth Council of Ilijaš Municipality as the primary body representing youth at the local level. This initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the Youth Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is currently undergoing training as a competence passport consultant with Caritas in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After completing the certification process and passing her exams, she will be able to offer a new service in Ilijaš Municipality. This service entails providing unemployed individuals with professional orientation and guidance, and the support they need to realize their potential. The result of this process will be a personal “Competence Passport”, an overview of competencies, knowledge, and skills.
She encourages young people to develop critical thinking, to share their views freely, and, if they can, to dedicate some free time to informal education and activism: “I encourage young people to learn about their local administration, especially youth officers, and to educate themselves about their rights and responsibilities. There are really so many opportunities and you need to seize them. By volunteering in their local communities, young people can bring change that’s good for everyone while falling in love with activism. This will not only contribute to community improvement but will also lead to new friendships, knowledge, and skills.”
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.
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