Intervet Western Balkans - Group June 2021

INTERVET WESTERN BALKANS PROJECT IN MARIBOR, SLOVENIA

"Mobility is like a journey. You just need to make the first step and the rest will follow.“

The project Intervet Western Balkans plans on creating opportunities for learning mobility in the training centres of Western Balkans and tends to improve the culture of learning mobility in the field of VET. Intervet Western Balkans has two objectives: the project allows participants to have better access to resources related to international training mobility, and participants learn more about already existing opportunities.

As part of the Intervet Western Balkans project, it is important to mention that this is the first group of students sent to Slovenia on learning mobility, which lasted from 20th June until 20th July 2021. Sending organisation of the group was The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, and students were being hosted by our Institute for New Age Education (ZNI). This project was coordinated by our long term partner, Uniser Società Cooperativa Sociale Onlus from Forlì, Italy.

Students arrived from Belgrade on the 20th June and had 4 days of preparation, which includes many activities: presentation of Mobility program and getting to know each other at the ZNI office, Safety at work course at IVD centre, Interview simulation workshop, presentation of Slovenia, visiting National Liberation Museum with a Guided city tour: What can Maribor offer me?.

Their mentor, Patricia Hrnčić, was helping them on their learning experience in Maribor. On weekend, students also went to Pohorje hill, which is a must see hike point, and also part of mobility programme activities.

Practical trainings were organised by ZNI mobility coordinators in different companies in Maribor. Students were placed in companies such as: Coffee shop and Bar Nana, manufacturing company CNC Polanec, website agency IT Melona, Permaculture Institute Maribor, Veterinary Centre Pika and Day center for children and adolescents Pika.

Main goal of this mobility is encouraging students to learn, as well as socialise and meet new people. Students spent their free time going to Maribor Island on Drava river, where they could swim in a pool, do sports or relax by the river. They loved walking around Maribor, exploring the city as much as they could. Students have also stated that living in Slovenia is so much more different than being back home in Serbia, and they really liked it. Even if they did not know each other before, they have bonded amazingly well - this is what this project is all about!

Statements from students about their experience with mobility programme in Maribor:

Nikola Radosavljević, CNC Polanec: “The time spent in Maribor has been well spent in my opinion, I have learned a lot of new things on my job and off it, I’ve met new friends that I will probably continue hanging out after this project concludes, this have been nothing but a positive experience for me.“

Krunoslav Petrović, CNC Polanec: “I really like Slovenia, it is a very pretty country, Maribor is also a pretty city. ZNI is a very good organisation, I like how they work. At my job I work on the CNC machine and I am very proud of it, colleagues are very friendly, I have met a lot of people and learned something new.”

Vuk Perišić, Katarina Ivković, IT Melona: “I am having a great time in Slovenia. At work we are designing some logos for the companies and creating websites. We also do some graphic design. I like it here very much.”

Rastko Jurisić, Permaculture Institute: “I really like this trip, it’s been very fun. The job is very hard, but I learned new things and new techniques, and also some things that I can use at home. Maribor is beautiful, the city is really great and organisation of the project is very good.”

Milan Mitić, Nana Bistro: “I work at Nana, where I am serving drinks. People are very good and Maribor is a nice city.”

Marta Radovanovic, Nana Bistro: “I work in Nana restaurant, in the kitchen, I am preparing food. I am very satisfied with this experience.”

Nataša Vojnović, Anastasija Stojić, Veterinary Centre PIKA: Anastasija: “I am very satisfied with internship in this organisation. We usually assist in surgeries and do other work with animals.” Nataša: “I am very satisfied with his project and I am happy I applied.”

Andjela Stanojlović, Day center for children and adolescents Pika: “My major is financial administration and I work at the Pika center, which is a centre for kids. I think it is very good.”

Article written by: Nina Leben

*This project is being funded by the European Union.