Croatia to Fund Language Learning Courses for Foreign Workers

Croatia to Fund Language Learning Courses for Foreign Workers

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Croatia is planning a framework for Croatian language acquisition to aid the integration of foreign workers.
  • Educational courses in the Croatian language are being offered across various sectors, including construction, tourism, hospitality, and trade.
  • Funding primarily comes from employers, with additional support from the local community and specific investments like Zagreb's allocation of 150,000 euros for language education.

To facilitate the integration of foreign workers in Croatia, the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family, and Social Policy is drafting a framework for the acquisition of the Croatian language.

In a statement released on February 16, the European Commission said that support for language programme participants will start in the first quarter of 2024, with career guidance services and Career Information and Counseling Centers (CISOK) in the regional offices of the Croatian Employment Service.

Currently numbering 17, these centres aim to enhance users’ skills for lifelong career development.

The authority noted that the initiative will provide short educational courses in Croatian across key sectors such as construction, architecture, tourism, hospitality, trade, services, processing, and food.

At the same time, such an effort will be integrated into the education voucher system, created for both employed and unemployed individuals, as part of the National Operational Program for Human Resources, overseen by the Croatian Employment Service.

The number of employers and entrepreneurs ensuring language learning opportunities for their employees continues to grow. The training sessions are conducted in person, online, or in a hybrid format, depending on the preferences of the companies.

EU Commission

According to the EU Commission, the main funding source for these educational programs is employers, supplemented by contributions from the local community. Zagreb has revealed plans to allocate €150,000 for Croatian language education for foreign workers.

The Croatian language course is conducted by the Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, and Osijek, facilitated by institutions such as Croaticum—Centre for Croatian as a Second and Foreign Language (Zagreb), The Centre for Croatian Studies Abroad (Split), The Rijeka School of Croatian Studies (Rijeka), and the Department of Croatian Language and Literature (Osijek).

Moreover, data provided by the Croatian Ministry of the Interior covering the period from January 1 to November 30, 2023, shows that a total of 160,464 residence and work permits were issued to foreign workers.

These permits were mainly for the construction industry (63,632), followed by tourism and hospitality (43,951), industry (22,249), transportation and communication (10,456), and trade (4,647).

During the same period, the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) processed 160,445 applications for residence and work permits for foreign workers, while the total number of applications submitted stood at 190,696.

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