Supporting “must have skills” - Getting prepared for the future Smolyan/Bulgaria

 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 Agenda

Relevance of “must have skills” for students about to enter the labour market

Relevance of “must have skills” for students Our students are  competing for entrance to labour market via vocational training  Their aim: a (well-paid) job  eager to get good marks in the core subjects and interested in obtaining additional certificates  Must have skills are essential for their opportunities in life

Importance of teaching the “right” skills at vocational colleges like the Erich-Gutenberg-Berufskolleg

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.

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”

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: % share of part-time students 30% share of full-time students

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.

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

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

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

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!