supporting “must have skills” - getting prepared for the future smolyan/bulgaria 04.12.2012
TRANSCRIPT
Supporting “must have skills” -
Getting prepared for the future
Smolyan/Bulgaria04.12.2012
Relevance of “must have skills” for students about to enter the labour market
Importance of teaching the “right” skills
at vocational colleges like the Erich-Gutenberg-
Berufskolleg
Measures to identify the relevant “must have skills”
Courses and additional qualifications at the
Erich-Gutenberg-Berufskolleg
Successful implementation of projects
Agenda04.12.2012
Relevance of “must have skills” for students about to enter the labour market
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Relevance of “must have skills” for students
Our students are
competing for entrance to labour market via vocational trainingTheir aim: a (well-paid) job eager to get good marks in the core subjects and interested in obtaining additional certificatesMust have skills are essential for their opportunities in life
Importance of teaching the “right” skills at vocational colleges like the Erich-Gutenberg-Berufskolleg
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Importance of teaching the “right” skills
The students of vocational schools (and at our school as well) go to school voluntarily:
Full-time students have finished their career at secondary schools.They enrol (or are enrolled by their parents) in order to get a higher qualification/degree
Part-time students are enrolled by the companies they are employed at and where they are trained to learn certain professions.
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Importance of teaching the “right” skills
Free choice of school: The students of vocational schools have the choice where they want to enrol.
In our region/ in the immediate vicinity there are several vocational schools with similar offers.
There are a lot more vocational colleges covering other sectors of the labour market.
School-leavers have many other options (e.g. universities, apprenticeships), they do not come to us automatically.
Our school is competing for students with other schools and with other forms of further education.
Measures to identify the relevant “must have skills”
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Measures to identify the relevant “must have skills”
Vocational colleges have a special approach to education/skills/contents:
The subjects and skills taught must be useful for the labour market.
Central question: What are they good for? In which situations will they be needed?
Number of students
Total of 1600 students at the Erich-Gutenberg-Berufskolleg:
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70%
share of part-time students
30%
share of full-time students
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Measures to identify the relevant “must have skills”
The large share of part-time students enables us to have close contact to the representatives of the companies where the students are doing their apprenticeships:
Cooperation meetings Instructors’ days Visits to companies Several differently organised meeting structures in which
the representatives and teachers discuss contents and teaching methods
We know a lot about the companies’ needs and can help the students to be successful on the labour market.
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Measures to identify the relevant “must have skills”
But of course we are as well interested in what the parents think.
Meetings in which parents’ representatives are elected
Parents’ days
Several differently organised meeting structures in which the parents and teachers to discuss contents and teaching methods
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Measures to identify the relevant “must have skills”
Moreover, we have a close contact to our students:
Regular talks between our headmasters and students about their past performance, behaviour and aims
Teachers have to explain their marks individually to the students every two months.
Weak students are advised in regular talks.
Courses and additional qualifications at the Erich-Gutenberg-Berufskolleg
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Courses and additional qualifications
Specific skills and contents are important: They are needed immediately in the companies’ working process.
These skills and contents need to be revised and adjusted to new developments constantly.
That’s why, in the long run, other key competences are of major importance:
Self organisation of work Reliability Self-confidence Ability to work in a team Intercultural competences, etc.
Successful implementation of projects
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Successful implementation of projects
LCCI (an advanced language certificate of business English)
Telc (a Spanish language certificate)
Training on manners and behaviour
Intercultural training
Work placements abroad
Self-organized training periods in class
Training on how to apply successfully
Special courses to support weak students, etc.
Thank you for your attention!
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