The final event of the job shadowing programme “Local Practice, Shared Knowledge!”, designed for youth officers across Bosnia and Herzegovina, has wrapped up with overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants.
This two-day gathering was the culmination of a three-month programme in which youth officers took part in three rounds of visits to different local communities. Throughout the programme, they explored effective models of youth work, worked on their professional skills, and built stronger relationships with colleagues from across the country.
The closing event brought together youth officers from municipalities including Banovići, Vukosavlje, Hadžići, Vlasenica, Sapna, Zenica, Bijeljina, Livno, and Novi Grad Sarajevo, as well as representatives of the host communities: the Municipality of Ilijaš, the City of Banja Luka, and the Municipality of Centar Sarajevo. Over two days, participants engaged in interactive sessions, panel discussions, and group work to reflect on their learning, identify key lessons, and discuss how they plan to apply what they learned in their local contexts.
The first day opened with reflections on the job shadowing visits. Through structured discussions and panel contributions, participants shared what they expected from the programme, what they gained, and which practices from Ilijaš, Banja Luka, and Centar Sarajevo they found most valuable for improving youth work in their own communities.
This was followed by a host panel session focused on the processes that led to successful youth policies in their communities, from creating youth spaces and supporting youth organisations to establishing dedicated youth budgets and transparent funding mechanisms.
Panelists Marija Babić (City of Banja Luka), Enisa Mešetović (Municipality of Ilijaš), and Samir Arnautović (Municipality of Centar Sarajevo) discussed how these practices contributed to both community development and the professional capacities of youth officers.
The remainder of the programme was dedicated to reflecting on how participants have already begun applying what they learned and which activities are already underway in their municipalities.
The second day focused on identifying obstacles, the foundation, and solutions for improving youth policies in BiH. Through group work and panel presentations, participants developed joint proposals for strengthening structured government support for young people and ensuring sustainable solutions at the local level.
In the final session, participants discussed the possibility of integrating job shadowing into formal programmes for continuous professional development of youth officers, including cooperation with relevant ministries and civil service agencies. The importance of ongoing networking and collaboration among youth officers was highlighted as one of the programme’s most valuable long-term results.
The event concluded with a certificate ceremony, celebrating a programme that has significantly contributed to building the capacities of youth officers and promoting the exchange of good practices across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants emphasised that the experience and new professional connections formed during the programme will inspire future joint initiatives and growth in the youth work field.
The job shadowing programme for youth officers in BiH, “Local Practice, Shared Knowledge!,” is implemented by the Institute for Youth Development KULT with the support of the FBiH Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Embassy of Sweden in BiH.
