A Bridge Between Schools and the Economy: Young People Discover Career Paths of the Future

The SAŠA Development Agency, which includes the SAŠA Center for a Just Transition, organized the SAŠA 2025 Career Opportunities Fair in cooperation with the Velenje School Center, the Savinja-Šalek Chamber of Commerce, the CRTI SAŠA Public Institute, and with the support of all ten municipalities in the SAŠA region and primary schools—a comprehensive event dedicated to presenting current and future career paths in the Savinja-Šalek region.

The event took place on Friday, November 21, 2025, at the Red Hall (Rdeča dvorana) in Velenje. The morning session was dedicated to organized groups of primary school students (8:00 AM–1:00 PM), while the afternoon session was open to all visitors (3:00 PM–5:00 PM)—children, parents, high schoolers, students, and employees who wanted to learn about the opportunities offered by the regional environment.

More than 60 exhibitors – from engineering to the green transition

For the second year in a row, the fair built a bridge between schools, companies, and institutions that support the development of competencies for the professions of the future. More than 60 exhibitors presented themselves—companies, educational institutions, and organizations from the public and economic sectors. Visitors were able to explore a wide range of professions in the fields of engineering, healthcare, social sciences, entrepreneurship, digitalization, and the green transition.

Inside the Red Hall, interactive workshops were held where the Velenje School Center, the local economy, and other institutions introduced young people to specific work tasks, required competencies, and development paths. Outside the hall, machinery and professions requiring field work and special technical skills were on display.

Mayors, principals, and companies supported the project

During the morning session, the fair was also visited by the mayors of the municipalities in the SAŠA region, along with the principals of participating schools and representatives of the companies that supported the project. Their presence confirms that the local environment recognizes the importance of connecting education and the economy and actively supports efforts to create a region that offers young people development opportunities and a stable future.

Afternoon session for parents and the general public

The afternoon slot, which took place between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM, was intended for parents and anyone seeking additional information on labor market trends, new professions, and the competencies of the future. As organizers, we wanted to strengthen the understanding of how the demand for personnel in the region is changing and to enable visitors to have personal contact with representatives of schools and companies.

The SAŠA Career Opportunities Fair is not just a presentation, but an opportunity for hands-on experience. Young people could test technologies, tools, and equipment, talk to professionals, and gain insight into work that they otherwise could not experience in school classrooms. With this, we want to emphasize that a career path today is not linear, but requires openness, curiosity, and continuous learning.

Knowledge, innovation, and cooperation as the keys to the future

This year, the fair again followed sustainability principles; therefore, the organizers encouraged the use of public transport, cycling, or walking, reduced plastic use, and separate waste collection.

The purpose of the fair was clear: to bring the professions that will co-create the future of the region closer to young people and their parents, and to encourage reflection on the role of knowledge, innovation, and cooperation in a time of great change. “Our goal is for young people to recognize opportunity in the changes of our time—for themselves, for the region, and for the community,” emphasizes the SAŠA Development Agency.