Since 2017, the VET Institute has been implementing dual education programmes in close cooperation with more than a dozen companies operating in the municipality of Svilajnac. These partnerships ensure that training is closely aligned with real workplace needs and that students develop practical, job-relevant competencies. The Institute focuses on preparing learners for occupations in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and mechatronics, responding to both current demand and future skills needs in the local and regional labour market.
Despite strong cooperation with industry, limited equipment and teaching resources have constrained the full implementation of curricula and practical training. This project therefore aims to significantly improve laboratory and workshop conditions, enabling the complete delivery of vocational programmes and the further modernisation of teaching and learning processes.
As part of this transformation, the Institute is evolving into a Regional Training Centre that will expand its educational offer in several directions. In addition to increasing enrolment in dual education pathways for young people, the Centre will introduce short-term training courses for adults at qualification levels 3–5 and lay the groundwork for future expansion into vocational and professional higher education. Students will be able to enrol in vocational programmes such as Mechatronics Technician, Machine Cutting Operator, and Locksmith-Welder, with training designed in close cooperation with partner companies.
With financial support from the Regional Challenge Fund, the building will be equipped with modern training resources and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Once completed, the Centre will include specialised laboratories for pneumatics, electronics, electrical engineering and informatics, as well as makerspaces, metal-processing and woodworking workshops, new classrooms and offices, and an amphitheatre for lectures and presentations. The facility will be fully accessible and adapted for persons with disabilities.
Through these investments, the project will increase the employability of dual education graduates, create opportunities for upskilling and reskilling adults, and support the long-term sustainability of training activities by enabling student-developed products to be placed on the market. At the same time, it will strengthen the local skills ecosystem and serve as a model for modern, inclusive and labour-market-driven vocational education.
Srednja škola “Svilajnac” The school was founded in 1877. Since 2005, it has operated as a mixed high school with various general education and VET programs. In the past, the school also showed flexibility and continuously adjusted the selection of VET programs. The school has been successfully implementing dual education since 2017.
Currently, the school has enrolled new students in the fields of work: general high school, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and metalworking, and woodworking.
Welding, 3D modeling, plasma cutting, laser cutting, oxyfuel (gas) cutting, CNC punching, bending, machining, etc.
Each year dozens of young people gain practical experience in production processes and welding through the Dual Education program, which we realize in cooperation with local high schools. They also acquire the skills needed for further professional and personal development. The concept of Dual Education is perceived as helping young people to develop their potential, master the basics of social skills and interpersonal relationships in a safe environment offered by our company. The concept implies gaining knowledge and experience in various activities of the production process with an emphasis on the welding process and enables young people a secure job when they finish school, and our company provides an inexhaustible source of young and talented welders.
Graduates are well prepared for employment upon completing their education, while the company benefits from a continuous pipeline of skilled and talented welders who can be smoothly integrated into the workforce.
Production of lighting equipment, lighting planning & design, smart connected lighting solutions, customised lighting products
The company partners with the vocational school in Svilajnac to provide practical workplace training for students enrolled in dual education profiles (especially mechatronics technician programs). Students split time between classroom theory and real work experience at the Regent facility.
By participating in dual education, Regent helps shape students’ skills to match its technical and production needs. This creates a pipeline of future employees who are already familiar with the company’s processes and technology. The company can recruit locally trained graduates with relevant competencies, easing the common issue of skills shortages that many manufacturers face. Through this collaboration, Regent benefits from improved workforce qualifications that are tailored to modern industrial needs, while also contributing to broader regional economic development.
LED Modules, ED Drivers (Control Gear), LED Optics, Light Management Systems, Emergency Lighting Devices, Single LEDs & Semiconductor Components, Connection & Control Technology,
Vossloh-Schwabe Serbia participates in the dual education program with Srednja škola “Svilajnac”. Starting September 2024, they also organize work-based learning for the profile Cutting Machining Operator.
Students trained ‘in house’ are far more ready for full-time technical work when they graduate, which helps the company fill specialist roles. Because trainees already learn practical methods and equipment used in the company, onboarding after graduation is shorter and more efficient.
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