The 5th annual forum of the Danube Strategy 2016, Workshop “Experiences from the introduction of dual vocational education and training in the Slovak Republic and countries of the Danube Region”
On 3. - 4. 11. 2016, a major international event, 5th Annual Forum of the Danube Strategy was held in Bratislava under the auspices of the Government of the Slovak Republic. The event brought together more than 600 domestic and foreign participants.
Representatives from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (MESR&S SR), Ministry of Finance and Economy Baden-Wuertemberg, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce and Volkswagen Slovakia, presented at the workshop project INT DUAL VET, namely their experience of introducing dual education and training in the Slovak Republic and in the countries of the Danube Region.
At the beginning of the project was an idea to establish a nexus between two priority axes 7 and 8, which was later successfully implemented. According to the project partners, the cooperation between the government and the private sector, but also with municipalities, Chambers of Commerce and employers' associations, was the key of the project success.
Since cooperation between the government and the private sector is something new for Slovakia, a number of challenges have been associated with the implementation of this idea into reality. Understandably, a consortium of partners has played important role, but at the same time it was necessary to find a framework, a solution that would cover both the interests of businesses as well as industry and chambers of commerce.
Representatives from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (MESR&S SR), Ministry of Finance and Economy Baden-Wuertemberg, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce and Volkswagen Slovakia, presented at the workshop project INT DUAL VET, namely their experience of introducing dual education and training in the Slovak Republic and in the countries of the Danube Region.
At the beginning of the project was an idea to establish a nexus between two priority axes 7 and 8, which was later successfully implemented. According to the project partners, the cooperation between the government and the private sector, but also with municipalities, Chambers of Commerce and employers' associations, was the key of the project success.Since cooperation between the government and the private sector is something new for Slovakia, a number of challenges have been associated with the implementation of this idea into reality. Understandably, a consortium of partners has played important role, but at the same time it was necessary to find a framework, a solution that would cover both the interests of businesses as well as industry and chambers of commerce.
The need for reform
Monika Rybová (MESR&S SR) introduced the history and legal framework of the transformation process of vocational education and training (VET) in Slovakia.
Law no. 61/2015 on vocational education and training, adopted by the National Council of the Slovak Republic of 12 March 2015, represents a breakthrough in the transformation process of the Slovak VET system.
It introduced a dual system of education, based on the experience of Austrian, German and Swiss partners and contributed to the attractiveness of VET system, also due to the long-term tradition in the former Czechoslovakia.
By signing a joint declaration on cooperation in vocational education and training, on 25th September 2015, by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, parties declared their common interest in cooperating on further transition of vocational education and training, as well as the design and implementation of mobility projects of students, teachers and career advisors.
Law no. 61/2015 on vocational education and training, adopted by the National Council of the Slovak Republic of 12 March 2015, represents a breakthrough in the transformation process of the Slovak VET system.
It introduced a dual system of education, based on the experience of Austrian, German and Swiss partners and contributed to the attractiveness of VET system, also due to the long-term tradition in the former Czechoslovakia.
By signing a joint declaration on cooperation in vocational education and training, on 25th September 2015, by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, parties declared their common interest in cooperating on further transition of vocational education and training, as well as the design and implementation of mobility projects of students, teachers and career advisors.
Danube Academy (DA)
The main objective of the Danube Academy shall be the education of VET teachers, establishing the centers of qualification for teachers, in order to ensure the competitiveness of companies as well as the virtual network of centers of excellence and relevant training programs for teachers of the Danube region.
The Danube Academy thereby contributes to strengthening the national VET and contributes to more sustainable mobilization of SMEs and companies towards dual education and training and continuing exchange of best practices and experiences in the region.
Representatives of the Economic Chamber of Austria, Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce and Volkswagen Slovakia, presented their project experiences through examples of their pilot schools.
„In Slovakia, we managed to create a partnership between government and the private sector.
The key is a quality education, qualified teachers, instructors, masters as well as the project itself," recalls Guido Glania, representative of Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce.
Having a stable local partner, considers Glania as a key to the success, as well as the will of the Ministry of Education to implement the elements of dual education into the national education system.
The memorandum of understanding, signed in February 2016, is the basis of cooperation as well as an agreement with Bratislava Self-governing Region (BSR), followed by the recruitment of students and retraining. Students have acquired the German certificate, issued by the Chamber of Commerce as well as the Slovak certificate.
In April 2016, when the reconstruction process started, there was the need to translate curriculum from German into Slovak language for four selected occupations, followed by the ceremonial opening of 7th September 2016.
Financial plan, which was created for the period 2016 - 2023, has to meet the requirements of the private sector, so that in 2019, these academies will follow the German model.
Currently, vocational education and training is based on Slovak legislation, while the new one will be based on the Slovak and current German legislation and on the rules of the Chamber of Commerce of Baden-Wuertemberg.
The next pilot project, presented at the workshop was the “The Young Stars”, which consortium consists of 8 companies, in cooperation with the municipality of Nitra and technical secondary vocational schools in Zlate Moravce.
“Our first class in 2013, had thirty students and we now have around 140 students," recalls Barbara Wilfinger from the Austrian Economic Chamber.
In terms of sustainability and project financing, the Structural funds of the European Union will play an important role in the coming period. “We have created a business model, academy, independent of the public finance. We intend to replicate the project in other countries of the Western Balkans, in Romania, Bulgaria or Serbia”, conclude project partners.
The Ministry of Education Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, the State Institute of Vocational Education and Training and selected partners of the project team NAA INT VET, were represented in a number of activities, thereby significantly promoting the information on the project and its outcomes, following the vocational education process in the Slovak Republic and promoting the introduction of dual education in the broader context of the Danube region.
Dissemination activities at this event have been implemented as follows: the attendance of members of the team and presentation of their activities within the Workshop 1 (Part 2): The experience from the introduction of dual vocational education in the Slovak Republic and the countries of the Danube Region. Providing information about the project participants within the promotional stand, by utilizing innovated (newly printed) prospectus NAA INT VET in English and Slovak version, visualized by a poster hanging, bilateral consultations with representatives of important Slovak and foreign organizations.
On 10 - 11 November 2016 the presentation exhibition event JUVYR 2016 was held under the auspices of the State Institute of Vocational Training, where the dissemination activities of the project INT DUAL VET were implemented.
On November 11, 2016, an International Conference of the Working Group ENTEP was held in Bratislava, intended to address issues of teacher education and providing its members the opportunity to exchange their experience and analyze and compare systems, background and challenges of individual Member States in the field of teacher training. Monika Rybová presented the activities of the Erasmus +, entitled “Framework of Continuous Training of VET Teachers and Trainers”.
The Danube Academy thereby contributes to strengthening the national VET and contributes to more sustainable mobilization of SMEs and companies towards dual education and training and continuing exchange of best practices and experiences in the region.
Representatives of the Economic Chamber of Austria, Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce and Volkswagen Slovakia, presented their project experiences through examples of their pilot schools.
„In Slovakia, we managed to create a partnership between government and the private sector.
The key is a quality education, qualified teachers, instructors, masters as well as the project itself," recalls Guido Glania, representative of Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce.
Having a stable local partner, considers Glania as a key to the success, as well as the will of the Ministry of Education to implement the elements of dual education into the national education system.
The memorandum of understanding, signed in February 2016, is the basis of cooperation as well as an agreement with Bratislava Self-governing Region (BSR), followed by the recruitment of students and retraining. Students have acquired the German certificate, issued by the Chamber of Commerce as well as the Slovak certificate.In April 2016, when the reconstruction process started, there was the need to translate curriculum from German into Slovak language for four selected occupations, followed by the ceremonial opening of 7th September 2016.
Financial plan, which was created for the period 2016 - 2023, has to meet the requirements of the private sector, so that in 2019, these academies will follow the German model.
Currently, vocational education and training is based on Slovak legislation, while the new one will be based on the Slovak and current German legislation and on the rules of the Chamber of Commerce of Baden-Wuertemberg.
The next pilot project, presented at the workshop was the “The Young Stars”, which consortium consists of 8 companies, in cooperation with the municipality of Nitra and technical secondary vocational schools in Zlate Moravce.
“Our first class in 2013, had thirty students and we now have around 140 students," recalls Barbara Wilfinger from the Austrian Economic Chamber.
In terms of sustainability and project financing, the Structural funds of the European Union will play an important role in the coming period. “We have created a business model, academy, independent of the public finance. We intend to replicate the project in other countries of the Western Balkans, in Romania, Bulgaria or Serbia”, conclude project partners.
The Ministry of Education Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, the State Institute of Vocational Education and Training and selected partners of the project team NAA INT VET, were represented in a number of activities, thereby significantly promoting the information on the project and its outcomes, following the vocational education process in the Slovak Republic and promoting the introduction of dual education in the broader context of the Danube region.
Dissemination activities at this event have been implemented as follows: the attendance of members of the team and presentation of their activities within the Workshop 1 (Part 2): The experience from the introduction of dual vocational education in the Slovak Republic and the countries of the Danube Region. Providing information about the project participants within the promotional stand, by utilizing innovated (newly printed) prospectus NAA INT VET in English and Slovak version, visualized by a poster hanging, bilateral consultations with representatives of important Slovak and foreign organizations.
On 10 - 11 November 2016 the presentation exhibition event JUVYR 2016 was held under the auspices of the State Institute of Vocational Training, where the dissemination activities of the project INT DUAL VET were implemented.
On November 11, 2016, an International Conference of the Working Group ENTEP was held in Bratislava, intended to address issues of teacher education and providing its members the opportunity to exchange their experience and analyze and compare systems, background and challenges of individual Member States in the field of teacher training. Monika Rybová presented the activities of the Erasmus +, entitled “Framework of Continuous Training of VET Teachers and Trainers”.