The system of dual education and paid practice in Republika Srpska (RS) is becoming more and more popular, which is especially suitable for companies that lack manpower. 342 high school students in RS signed contracts on paid internships with employers. Recently, employment contracts were signed in Banja Luka for 50 high school graduates, who performed practical classes in these companies.
Student Bojana Subic is one of six high school students who signed a contract for a paid internship at the “Kapeli” hair salon. She says that she learned a lot from her colleagues through practice. This job allows me to express my creativity through hairstyles, and the additional motivation is that I get paid for it, she states.
”The paid internship motivates me, at least, to stay and to try as hard as possible to be as persistent as possible. When the internship is unpaid, children give up, they have no motivation to continue. That would be a reward for their efforts to keep going. I’m happy right now and would stay here,” says Bojana.
”For many years, we have been training children from school, and therefore all these children spend three years with us, they deserve to be paid for their work and to be trained additionally. No one who comes out of school is trained in full, but has to be refined,” says the owner of the hair salon, Radmila Banjac.
According to data from the Ministry of Education and Culture of the RS, 342 students had paid for practical lessons last year and this year.
Businessmen propose to appoint a school coordinator who will be the address which companies can contact in order to facilitate communication. In the system of paid internships, they see a chance for young people to stay in our region.
In the Craft and Entrepreneurship sector, they are satisfied with the system of dual education and see in it a chance to reduce the problem of the lack of craftsmen in the RS, especially since the interest of high school students in trades is growing.
An amendment to the Law on Higher Education of the RS is in the process, which will enable students to do professional practice with a private employer, for which they will be paid in accordance with the concluded contract.
