The American Chamber of Commerce in BiH has been successfully cooperating with the Government of Sarajevo Canton in the past. In this regard, a possibility of a new form of cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, Social Policy, Displaced Persons and Refugees of Sarajevo Canton has been opened. Namely, it was agreed that the American Chamber of Commerce in BiH to the aforementioned Ministry, based on the inputs received from the AmCham BiH Committees and its members, present ideas for projects focused on increasing employment in Sarajevo Canton.
After the AmCham BiH Executive Office received two ideas from members of the Raiffeisen Bank and Propulsion Fund, a meeting was organized with Minister Garibija where the AmCham BiH member Propulsion Fund, presented its proposal named WorkNET. Propulsion Fund chairs the Corporate Social Impact Committee, which serves as the internal engine of AmCham’s social impact, assisting and propelling members to serve as role models for the business community in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Another aspect of its operation is to create a forum in which stakeholders and decision makers could identify current and potential issues with corporate giving in BiH, leading the conversation toward a resolution of these problems.
During the meeting, while presenting the pilot program WorkNET it was emphasized that its aim is to become a support network for employment and personal development in the business environment of Sarajevo Canton. The project is designed to encourage staff growth by creating a platform through AmCham BiH to connect the private sector, on the one hand, and job seekers, on the other. This involves integrating online and offline activities, with constant insistence on innovation and scaling of social impact.
In addition to the Minister, representatives of AmCham BiH and the Propulsion Fund, the meeting was also attended by representatives of the United Nations Development Program in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNDP BiH), with which the Government of Sarajevo Canton signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February this year. This agreement opens up opportunities for cooperation in several fields, primarily related to the transfer of knowledge and in-depth analysis of major sectors, such as communal economy, economy, education, labor and social policies.
The conclusion of the meeting is that the Ministry of Labor, Social Policy, Displaced Persons and Refugees of Sarajevo Canton will, on the basis of written inputs, proposals of projects from the private sector, design programs, reform activities during September 2019 that should serve for facilitating access to productive employment by the Employment Service of the Canton Sarajevo, by creating more effectively articulated and coordinated policies and programs designed and advised by the private sector in BiH.
AmCham BiH will continue its successful cooperation with the Government of the Canton of Sarajevo by continuing to be the joint voice of the business community.
