Croatia Allocates €150,000 Investment to Aid Foreign Workers in Learning Croatian Language
Zagreb, Croatia – In a bid to enhance the integration process for foreign workers, Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, has unveiled plans to invest €150,000 towards Croatian language education.
The initiative, spearheaded by Croatia’s Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family, and Social Policy, aims to facilitate smoother integration for foreign workers entering the country’s workforce.
According to a recent announcement by the European Commission, the language program participants will begin receiving assistance in the first quarter of 2024.
This comprehensive support package will include career guidance services offered through the Career Information and Counseling Centers (CISOK), strategically located within the regional offices of the Croatian Employment Service.
As reported by Nairametrics, Croatia boasts 17 language centers nationwide, strategically positioned to enhance users’ skill sets essential for long-term career advancement.
The language courses will be conducted by the Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences situated in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, and Osijek.
Insights into the Language Centers: These educational courses will cater to key sectors such as construction, architecture, tourism, hospitality, trade, services, processing, and food industries.
Moreover, this initiative will be seamlessly integrated into the education voucher system, designed to benefit both employed and unemployed individuals.
The education voucher system is a pivotal aspect of the National Operational Program for Human Resources, administered by the Croatian Employment Service.
ALSO READ: Rising prices of fuel and commodity could lead to social unrest in Nigeria – AfDB
The European Commission has emphasized that primary financial support for these educational programs will be sourced from employers, supplemented by contributions from local communities.
These courses are being organized in collaboration with esteemed institutions specializing in teaching Croatian to non-native speakers, including Croaticum—Centre for Croatian as a Second and Foreign Language in Zagreb, The Centre for Croatian Studies Abroad in Split, The Rijeka School of Croatian Studies in Rijeka, and the Department of Croatian Language and Literature in Osijek.
Background: The decision to allocate funds towards Croatian language education for foreign workers stems from the growing influx of international labor into Croatia.
Statistics from the Croatian Ministry of the Interior reveal that from January 1 to November 30, 2023, a total of 160,464 residence and work permits were granted to foreign employees.
Predominantly, these permits were issued within the construction sector (63,632), followed by tourism and hospitality (43,951), industry (22,249), transportation and communication (10,456), and trade (4,647).
Simultaneously, the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) processed 160,445 applications for residence and work permits for foreign workers, out of a total of 190,696 applications received during this period.
