Youth Employment Forum Co-Chairs: Zbigniew Bochniarz Anto Domazet Keynote Speaker: Ziga Vavpotic Sarajevo, Bosnia i Herzegovina, July 1, 2014

Introduction 1. Untapped Opportunities & Success Stories: Almir Jazvin, Vesna Milosevic Zupancic 2. Promoting Entrepreneurship and Self- employment: Nermin Kadric 3. Enhancing Performance of Existing Businesses: Edin Saracevic 4. Conclusions for the BiH Youth.

1. Untapped Opportunities & Success StoriesWhat are the most significant success stories in the past decade that have potential for further growth, replication or imitation?What success stories have been achieved in other countries that can be extended, replicated or imitated in BiH?Which sectors, industries and businesses in BiH have the largest potential for growth?What domestic and international markets offer the greatest potential for growth?What practical measures can be introduced to tap these opportunities?Which countries or regions offer viable models that can be replicated in BiH?What obstacles retard development of these opportunities?.

2. Promoting Entrepreneurship and Self- employmentWhat steps can be taken to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment?How can the start-up of new businesses be facilitated and accelerated?How can the failure rate of new business start-ups be reduced?.

3. Enhancing Performance of Existing BusinessesHow can existing enterprises become more efficient and competitive?How can agricultural extension services be improved to raise crop yields & quality?How can transparency be increased to facilitate the functioning of businesses?What systems or organizational innovations can be introduced to improve the functioning of the business and the economy?.

4. Conclusions & Recommendation for Education and Training a. Create opportunities for student jobs during their education period in order to get them early contacts with the labor market and to acquire first working experience. b. Develop soft skills (along with technical/professional ones) that proved to be critical for employability. c. Record and recognize the student working experience, as it has happened in the ILO-awarded practice Moje iskusnje/My experience in Slovenia. d. Treat the student job as a stepping stone for a regular job and professional career..

4. Conclusions & Recommendation for Education and Training (cont.) a. Revise time allocated for Knowledge, Skills and Attitude Building in favor of the last two. b. Introduce to curricula more soft-skills courses. c. Collaborate closely with organizations from business, public or NGO sectors to get students involved in team work and solving real world problems. d. Take advantage of alumni associations to learn about needed knowledge and skills in their industries. e. Introduce incentives for faculty to focus on more practical problem solving for diploma works..

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