The Executive Director of the Montenegrin Electricity Distribution System, Mr Vladimir Čađenović, attended the Annual EPALE Conference “Management in Vocational Education – Achievements and Challenges”, held on 19 October in Petrovac, organised by the Centre for Vocational Education with the support of EPALE Montenegro.
Speaking on the topic “Vocational Education – A Driver of Society in Transition”, Mr Čađenović outlined achievements and future plans for the development of vocational education through the partnership established between the Ministry of Education, the Centre for Vocational Education and CEDIS.
Reminding attendees of the importance of developing the energy sector as one of the main drivers of our country’s economy, he highlighted the need for knowledge and a skilled workforce, as well as cohesion between the education system and the needs of the labour market.
“By signing the agreement between the Ministry of Education on the one hand, and CEDIS and Elektroprivreda on the other, a further step has been taken towards creating a highly qualified workforce for the needs of the energy sector. Practical training at school is particularly important in preparing students for work-based learning in a real working environment. We therefore see significant opportunities for partnership in equipping school workshops and creating the conditions for delivering high-quality instruction at school, as well as in using the training centres of Elektroprivreda and CEDIS during practical training and establishing new joint training centres for students and adults within schools.”
Reflecting on the foundations of the “Green Agenda”, CEDIS Executive Director emphasised that now is the right time to start thinking and talking about the circular economy, with its rational use of resources, extension of product lifespans, recycling and pollution reduction.
“This is an imperative of our time, which necessarily has implications for the education system as well, since it gives rise to the need to quickly develop programmes that will meet the evident market demand for this knowledge and these skills. As the Green Agenda strategy consists of five pillars and covers all branches of the economy, it will have significant implications for all business entities. As a result, short-form programmes in the form of micro-credentials will need to be developed in almost all sectors to adequately meet the growing demand for this knowledge and these skills.”
Emphasis was also placed on the drive to reduce carbon emissions and ultimately achieve net-zero emissions, which is the official energy and climate policy of the European Union:
“As a candidate country for membership, Montenegro has, among other things, undertaken to align its energy sector with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions and ultimately bringing them to zero. Accordingly, a new energy strategy is currently being developed, which will prioritise renewable energy sources, gradually reducing CO2 emissions to zero. This presents a new opportunity to establish partnerships with the education sector to develop education plans and programmes that will help achieve the aforementioned strategic objectives,” said Čađenović.
Finally, the Executive Director of the Montenegrin Electricity Distribution System, Vladimir Čađenović, thanked the organisers for recognising the importance of CEDIS’s role in this event and thus once again demonstrating their openness to partnership and cross-sector cooperation.
