President Milanović: Growing enrolment in vocational and technical schools reflects increasing demand for skilled craftsmen
“Craftsmanship experienced a sort of identity and real crisis fifteen or twenty years ago. However, this is definitely changing due to current trends and the growing demand for craftsmen’s services,” the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović said today at a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Zagreb Chamber of Trades and Crafts.
In his address at the ceremony, President Milanović stated that in recent decades, Western societies have placed tremendous social pressure on individuals to pursue education, emphasizing that “they must finish schools and colleges.” He added, “This is not only unrealistic, but the university-educated should remain a limited social group. It is by no means a virtue for everyone to have a college degree, let alone a doctorate. If that happens, it means something is wrong with the quality of education.”
“Classic trades, which are essentially artisanal professions, will become more prevalent in the future, and their numbers will grow because young people will recognize the demand for these technical jobs,” said President Milanović. “The market is a powerful instrument. It’s a well-paid job, but it requires a lot of hard work. It is simply impossible for this demand not to find its response.” He pointed to the increasing number of students enrolling in vocational and technical schools as evidence of this trend. “These are skills that are well-rewarded and well-paid in Western economies. I am not concerned about that, but for other sectors, such as catering services, problems will persist. It will become increasingly difficult to rely on workers from linguistically similar countries, as they will no longer come to Croatia,” he added.
Congratulating all craftsmen on the anniversary of the establishment of the Zagreb Chamber of Trades and Crafts, President Milanović wished Chamber President Antun Trojner much professional success and expressed hope “that you will find workers who will transform the city of Zagreb from behind the scenes into one big construction site, especially the buildings and facades in the Lower Town, which have been in a very neglected condition for decades.” He added that these should be workers ready to work on construction sites, performing hard but well-paid work. “I am rooting for it to be our own people, our workers, who will be decently paid, and who will not be ashamed of this job because it is not only dignified but also a skill. Your role is irreplaceable in this, as no one else can do it but the craftsmen. I look forward to the years ahead because I am convinced that things will be better for you than they have been in the past twenty years,” President Milanović concluded in his speech at the 30th anniversary celebration of the Zagreb Chamber of Trades and Crafts.
In addition to President Milanović, who also served as the patron of the 30th anniversary event, other speakers at the ceremony included Antun Trojnar, President of the Zagreb Chamber of Trades and Crafts; Dalibor Kratohvil, President of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts; Joško Klisović, President of the Zagreb City Assembly; Tomislav Tomašević, Mayor of Zagreb; Ivo Milatić, delegate of the Croatian Prime Minister and State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy; and Mislav Herman, delegate of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament and Member of Parliament.
After the ceremony, President Milanović visited the exhibition “Craftsman’s Hands” displayed in the Kristofor Stanković Gallery on the ground floor of the Old Town Hall. Martina Ciglević, Assistant Adviser to the President of the Republic for the Economy, accompanied President Milanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta