Trained for locksmiths in “Roj“ cooperative

Kruševac: In the “Roj“ beekeeping cooperative in Medveđa, in the vicinity of Trstenik, four trainees completed the WBL training within the “Education to Employment” programme.

According to Ilija Jovanović from the Educational Centre – the organisation implementing this programme in Rasinski county, two training programmes have been implemented:

“We had the upskilling for three people who were employed with our company for less than 12 months. This training was for the profession of a locksmith. The three of them were auxiliary workers before and now they are trained to be locksmiths. Their goal was to secure better work positions and better employment contracts for themselves.“

In addition, one trainee was trained for the profession of a locksmith.

The Cooperative’s Director Jelena Bradić Lađarević confirmed that the “Education to Employment” programme was beneficial for this cooperative which – as she pointed out – faced difficulties in finding the new staff.

“We make beekeeping equipment for export, and we employ approximately 50 people. We could employ further thirty people but, unfortunately, we are not able to find the workforce we need. We have tried to do it through the National Employment Service, by publishing job vacances, using the references. We managed to train our employees through this programme. It means a lot to us to have suitable staff“, she explained.

She then added that they trained the woodworking machine operators in this way:

“The workers acquired new skills; they have gained speed and new knowledge. It means a lot to us to have competent and good workers. The duration of the training was a month and a half. The theoretical training for people who were already working for us was conducted by our instructors who are trained for dual education, while the teacher for theoretical training conducted the training for the newly-employed trainee“.

This cooperative exports most, or 90 percent, of their products, primarily to the Scandinavian countries. It is a family business which was founded more than three decades ago. They said that they hope that they will solve their problem with the lack of workers.

“We do not have many residents here. Young people simply leave. They go abroad or to larger towns. That is our main problem. Also, those who remained here are already employed elsewhere“, Jelena Bradić Lađarević said.

Text and photo: Jelena Božović / Edited by: Sandra Vlatković