Official guidelines on traineeships and apprenticeships

There is no comprehensive national legislation specifically governing traineeships or apprenticeships in BiH. Work-based learning is partially integrated within vocational education through "practical classes", which may occur at school, as individual apprenticeships, or via group visits to companies—depending on regulations. However, a systematic, structured approach to traineeships or apprenticeships across the country is currently absent.

There is no standardized requirement for written contracts, remuneration, or social security coverage for trainees or apprentices. Pilot approaches—such as those in Travnik involving a paid apprenticeship between a metal factory and a VET school—do exist, but they are limited in scope.

Recent initiatives by the ILO and EU (through the EU4Education and Employment project) are promoting employer engagement in vocational education reform. These efforts include developing occupational and qualification standards through employer-educator collaborations across various regions of BiH, indicating early movement towards more coordinated frameworks.

The RS Public Employment Institute has implemented the Program to support the employment of young people with a university degree in the status of trainees in 2022, which is financed from the RS Budget in the value of BAM 2,052,000.00.

The Program aims to train young people from the unemployment register to take the internship exam and work independently in their profession. In accordance with the RS Labour Law, the internship lasts 12 months for persons with a university degree, so the Employment Service will finance the internship through this program in accordance with the above Law. The Program includes funding for internships for 285 people with higher education.

Allocation per trainee with a university degree in this component amounts to BAM 7,200.00 a year and is based on the amount of a monthly net salary of BAM 600.00. The costs of taxes and contributions have been borne by the employers who hire trainees.

The BD Labour Law defines the admission of trainees for professional training for independent work. A trainee is a person who has completed secondary or higher education and looks for the first job, and who is required by law to pass a professional exam or needs work experience for independent work in his profession.

The employment contract with the trainee is concluded for a definite period, and for a maximum of one year. During the internship, the intern is entitled to at least 80% (eighty percent) of the salary determined for the job for which he is trained and other rights from the employment contract, in accordance with the law and general regulations.

The FBiH Labour Law defines the traineeship in the same way as the BD Labour Law, but the difference is that interns are entitled to at least 70% of the salary for the job.

The FBiH Labour Law also defines that if a professional exam or work experience determined by the law or work regulations is a condition for performing the tasks of a certain profession, the employer can accept a person who has completed education for such profession for professional training without concluding an employment contract.

The time of the professional training is counted in the internship and work experience determined as a condition for working in a certain profession and can last no longer than the length of the internship. 

Promoting traineeships and apprenticeships

EBRD’s Private Sector Youth Initiative (PSYI) is supported by the TaiwanBusiness–EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund and aims to link academic institutions with private sector employers to offer internship opportunities aligned with international standards, helping youth gain professional experience and improved employability.

The EU Delegation to BiH periodically offers funded traineeships (up to 6 months) in sectors such as Political or Political and Communication sections—aimed at university graduates, offering exposure to public diplomacy, EU integration processes, research, media outreach, and more.

The University of Sarajevo hosts Erasmus+ incoming traineeships (2–12 months), providing opportunities for students from European institutions to gain field-relevant experience across diverse faculties.

Recognition of learning outcomes

There is currently no national system for the formal recognition of learning outcomes from traineeships or apprenticeships (e.g., ECTS or ECVET credits, qualification credits). Work-based learning remains supplementary, with no widespread mechanism to validate such experiences within formal education systems.

Funding

There is no public/co-funded traineeship or apprenticeship scheme at a national level. Current funding and support arise largely from international donor programs, such as EBRD’s PSYI, EU Delegation-funded internships, and Erasmus+ schemes. No specific co-funding or tax incentive mechanisms for providers are documented.

Quality assurance

BiH lacks a formal, structured quality assurance system for traineeships and apprenticeships. No national monitoring, standard criteria, or feedback mechanisms are in place. Some pilot projects imply local oversight, but a consistent QA framework is currently absent.