Research on the position and needs of young people in Doboj Istok municipality served as the first step in developing a youth strategy that the Municipality is creating with support from the Institute for Youth Development KULT. This process reaffirmed the local government’s commitment to improving support and addressing the actual needs of young people through youth strategy development.
Young people represent 21.44% of Doboj Istok municipality’s total population, making strategic and continuous youth support across all areas of life essential for this community’s development.
The analysis of youth needs and conditions in the Doboj Istok municipality serves as the foundation for drafting the youth strategy. It offers insight into the key challenges faced by young people and provides recommendations for enhancing relevant policies and programs. The survey included 340 young people aged 15 to 30, and examined their experiences with education, employment, healthcare, social security, culture, sports, safety and civic engagement. The findings reveal the genuine challenges young people face in their community.
The Analysis of youth employment and education shows that many young people believe the education system fails to prepare them for the job market. Nearly half (46.8%) of respondents say their education provides little to no benefit when seeking employment in their field. The main barriers to youth competitiveness and job market success are inadequate practical training and limited opportunities to gain initial work experience. Only 30.2% of surveyed young people in Doboj Istok work in positions matching their educational background, which highlights the need for better alignment between educational curricula and labor market demands. This mismatch results in young people working in jobs they are not qualified for while simultaneously missing out on training for occupations that are in high demand.
Support with self-employment is a crucial need for young people. Over half (54.4%) expressed interest in starting their own business while emphasizing that they need support to succeed. Financial assistance ranks as the most important form of support according to 49.4% of respondents, while mentorship (21.5%) and educational support (20.9%) also rank highly. Young people recognize the value of practical skills and advocate for programs that prepare them for the job market, including networking with employers and first work experience opportunities. Notably, 5.9% already operate their own businesses while 9.7% are actively working toward starting one.
Health trends among young people in Doboj Istok, noted in the Analysis point to several challenges. Young people rarely undergo preventive medical checkups, with one-third stating they have never had a checkup or cannot remember the last time they had one. Those who did have checkups mainly did so to meet driver’s license or employment requirements. The high non-response rate for reproductive health questions (21%) indicates existing stigma and the need for more sensitive and responsive educational and communication approaches. The data points to an urgent need to raise awareness about preventive healthcare importance, particularly regarding mental and reproductive health, while providing greater support for young people seeking help and reducing mental health stigma.
Analysis of housing and financial circumstances shows that 90.9% of young people in Doboj Istok still live with their parents. High real estate and rental prices are the primary obstacle preventing earlier independence. Financial constraints including low income and lack of housing support often prevent young people from living independently. Focus group participants reported that no programs exist to help young people purchase their first property or achieve housing independence through other means.
The Analysis identified what young people in Doboj Istok want to see moving forward and outlined directions and actions needed to achieve these goals. The survey results indicate that the youth strategy must be the product of a multidisciplinary approach and include concrete measures addressing education, employment, health, safety, mobility, culture and youth participation.For detailed information about young people’s position and needs, see: Analysis of Research Results on the Position and Needs of Young People in Doboj Istok Municipality.
For detailed information about young people’s position and needs, see: Analysis of Survey Results on the Position and Needs of Young People in Doboj Istok Municipality (Bosnian).
The survey and the Analysis of the position and needs of Doboj Istok youth were conducted as are part of the project “Designing, Developing and Adopting Youth Policies”, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Institute for Youth Development KULT in partnership with the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), the Youth Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Network of youth centers for animation, development and training of Republika Srpska (M.O.C.A.R.T.) and the Association of Secondary School Students in BiH.
