[ad_1]
We work and live in an age where craftsmen are greatly sought after and rewarded, yet their numbers are extremely small and the demand outstrips the supply many times over.
Furthermore, crafts are a growing force in the Croatian economy, now recording double-digit growth every year, where the changing trends and the increase in interest in craft careers as well as the steady growth in children enrolled in our programs are particularly pleasing – five years ago we enrolled more than 20,000 students following the unique educational model represented by HOK.
However, all industries are in short supply and the labor problem places a burden on anyone who does not rely on their own strength. Unfortunately, among other serious situations, the education system is not meeting the needs of the labor market, which the Croatian Chamber of Crafts has been warning about for many years.
Since the restoration of the parliamentary reconstruction in 1994, HOK has played an active role in the design and implementation of vocational education in related industries. At that time, craftsmen demanded the introduction of an education model that included a large number of hours of practical courses, the so-called “practical courses”, based on the German vocational education model. Apprenticeship period.
41 comments sent
This is the only way to ensure the acquisition of the specific knowledge and skills required for performance in craft occupations at a high level. This is the only way to have a ready-made worker (still in the process of education) as soon as possible and, upon completion of education, a dedicated, knowledgeable worker who is ready to enter the labor market.
In conclusion, we strongly advocate reforms in vocational education and are deeply involved in its design and implementation – the quality of new curricula for craft professions will reflect on the future of Croatian crafts.
We support the incorporation of new curricula into vocational education and training systems and the modernization of vocational education delivery, particularly with an emphasis on a modular approach and the strengthening of work-based learning (i.e., practice) as a key component of high-quality vocational education.
During the e-consultation process, we sent 41 comments on trade professional courses to put more emphasis on that part, namely the apprenticeship and the need to check practical skills at the end of education in the form of a scientific examination.
That is, we require the inclusion of explicit information that work-based learning is achieved through a student internship with a licensed employer, and we believe that at least half of the total points in the qualification must be in a real work environment with a licensed employer.
I would say that there is a key challenge facing decision-makers, and also facing the whole society, and overcoming this challenge means achieving quality vocational education. That is, vocational education in Croatia has a dual goal, which must be able to provide students with two choices of direction – the first is entry into the labor market, and the second is further education. Entry into the labor market requires an appropriate number of hours of vocational subjects and work-based learning, while further education requires knowledge of general education subjects.
In order to acquire the competencies required by the labor market, it is necessary to emphasize the profession, more specifically, professional theory and practice (work-based learning), while education and training at the higher education level requires general education and a series of so-called key competencies. A middle path that encompasses both goals is difficult to achieve, given that funding for credit hours in three- and four-year programs is too low to achieve quality in both directions.
Why a nine-year school?
In the three-year plan, a stronger focus is placed on the labour market, which we certainly welcome, but we can also hear questions and arguments about the lower representation of general education subjects and highlight the potential negative impacts that this approach could have in the future.
In this context, it should of course be pointed out that in these courses, the knowledge and skills that have hitherto been included in the general education subjects are included in the professional modules and are therefore more adapted to the needs of a specific profession. This means that students will learn parts of the general education subjects in this module, but only the parts that they need to obtain a complete education in the part of the profession they decide to pursue.
If we want to understand it this way, one of the possible ways to overcome this key dilemma is what HOK has repeatedly proposed – extending the duration of compulsory primary education, not by introducing pre-primary education, i.e. early enrollment. , but by extending compulsory education to nine years of primary education.
What do we gain from this? More time to acquire additional general education content and more mature students to ensure their presence when choosing high school and career. It is also worth mentioning that now our students have to choose a career direction at the age of 14 or 15, which is much earlier than in many EU and developed countries.
Finally, I repeat to the reader here, as I did when I debated this subject in the Parliamentary Education Committee – please allow me to raise a question for consideration on behalf of my institution.
Is it important for our country that students who receive vocational education are adequately prepared for the labor market and an efficient economy, especially in small trades and enterprises, theoretical knowledge, and then we invest additional money and time in their integration and training for the labor market?
We have not had time for such reflections for a long time and I hope that we will soon be able to reach a consensus at the competent authorities and societal level and come to concrete conclusions that will provide clear answers to these key questions for the future of our craft and the economy as a whole in Croatia.
[ad_2]
Source link
