The Centre for Creative Industries, which will serve as a multidisciplinary space where the development of creative industries will be supported in an innovative way and enable the creation of new jobs, was opened in the Museum of the Battle for the Wounded at Neretva in Jablanica as part of the project “Creative Industries for Employment without Borders “, financed by the European Union.
In addition to information services, the Centre will also provide professional training services for acquiring new work skills, and will enable all interested entrepreneurs and legal entities, as well as those who plan to start engaging in these activities, free use of new sophisticated equipment for development of ideas to create new products.
Value of the project
The head of Jablanica Municipality, Damir Šabanović, said that the total value of the project is 455,000 euros, of which the European Union provided 367,000 euros.
– This is a significant project, this is something new in Jablanica, and the goal is to have young people who will implement their innovative ideas. We opened this resource centre where we currently have two very valuable machines and I think that this will really be a space where young people will be able to express their creativity – said Šabanović.
Head of the Operations Section for Social Development, Civil Society and Cross-Border Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union, Gianluca Vannini, pointed out that the aim of this centre is to help young people find work.
– The goal of this project is for young people to get opportunities and jobs within the creative industry. We are all aware that unemployment is a big problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in many other countries of the European Union, so creating opportunities for young people is one of our main goals – said Vannini.
In the newly opened centre, all those looking for a job in the creative industry will be able to receive advice and full support in realizing their ideas.
– I hope that in the future, with the help of this centre, we will create opportunities to develop infrastructure and to develop creative industries, to create new jobs for all those who strive for it, and especially for local communities such as Jablanica – said Vannini.
He added that the European Union will continue to support such and similar projects with the aim of creating new opportunities and new jobs. The executive director of the Association for Entrepreneurship and Business LiNK Mostar, Alisa Gekić, said that with the opening of this centre, young people will have the opportunity to strengthen their skills in certain occupations.
Pleasant ambience
– Young people will be able to develop in programming, work on CNC machines, work in the wood sector, and many others, since the sector of creative industries includes 11 sectors and 57 occupations. We expect that during this year more than 200 young people will strengthen their capacities and thus be ready for the labour market. Already in the coming period, we expect the announcement of a public call and we hope that the Municipality of Jablanica will thereby create a pleasant environment for the creation of new, as well as the maintenance of existing jobs – emphasized Gekić.
The President of the Board of Directors of the Youth Cultural Centre “Urban Art” from Jablanica, Said Ivković, pointed out that through this centre young people will receive complete support related to IT and the mechanical sector.
– As soon as we started with this story, when people heard that the Center for Creative Industries would be opened, that some new machines would be coming, young people showed great interest. We have daily inquiries about when the workshops will start, when they will be able to start using these spaces and machines, so I think this is a big hit that will mean a lot for everyone in Jablanica, especially young people – said Ivković.
The project “Creative industries for employment without borders” through the BiH-Montenegro cross-border cooperation program is financed by the European Union, and it is jointly implemented by the municipality of Jablanica in cooperation with the organization Multimedial from Bijelo Polje, the municipality of Danilovgrad from Montenegro and the association LiNK Mostar.