More information
Description
In the Aethetics anh Human body Hygene domain, Colegiul “NV Karpen” Bacau is currently training 194 future beauty salon specialists, under the qualifications “Hair Stylists” and “Hairdresser Stylist Manicure and Pedicure Specialist”. The idea of experimenting practical training sessions in similar institutions from Portugal, together with theoretical and practical sessions for our teachers and representatives of the local businesses proved extremely interesting, attractive and beneficial to all parties concerned.
The main goal of the project “Active Partnership for a Successful Career” is to develop in VET teachers the skills of organising high quality practical training sessions, and for the specific business it will develop the necessary skills to coordinate practical training of students, so that the future graduates aquire the necessary competence to insert into the job market professionally.
Specific Objectives:
1. Improving quality of the theoretical and practical training of students.
2. Creating tools that would help improve work-based learning in students and validation of results gathered in such manner.
The target of this project are Xith and XIIth graders from Colegiul “NV Karpen” studying Aesthetics and Human Body Hygene. For the study visit the team will include 4 specialist teachers, a representative of the school, an English teachers (as an interpreter), 3 tutors (1 of which will be the legal representative).
The results to be expected at the end of the project are:
1 textbook (manual) regarding Aesthetics and Human Body Hygene terminology and theoretical information, 3 practical training workbooks, 1 sample practical guide regarding tutorship at the workplace in Aesthetics and Human Body Hygene.
Summary of project results
The companies in the field of human body hygiene and aesthetics service require a higher level of professionalism from employees and skills specific to the employer''s activity profile. Sometimes, school training does not fully respond to the professional supply needs of economic partner, that students do not possess a series of knowledge and skills necessary to carry out all types of work required by the employer, and that the specialized curriculum lacks some contents and learning outcomes that operators need to fulfill the job. Many times, the mechanisms for facilitating the interaction between economic agents and the initial professional training system are not effective. In the field of aesthetics and hygiene of the human body, the "N.V. Karpen" Bacău College is currently training 194 future workers of beauty salons, in the specializations Hairdresser, Stylist and Hairdresser, Hairdresser, Manicurist, Pedicurist. Although the qualifications are in demand on the labour market, statistical data show that the socio-professional insertion of these graduates is weak, a fact attributed to insufficient training or ineffective communication between the school and economic agents during the schooling period. We found that the partnership agreements concluded between the school and the economic agent do not contain clear specifications regarding the learning outcomes that the student must acquire in the internships process and that there are no clear tools for evaluating the trainees. Added to these are other aspects as:- Students are allowed only to observe the actions of the employees, the technical details are explained to them, but in few times they are allowed to perform on the customers;- Students fear of experimenting and performing the actual operations born from the fear of making a mistake or damaging something;- the economic agents are not motivated and do not have human resources trained in the tutoring activity, they do not have the time resources necessary for the training of students, and the space necessary for the integration of practicing students at the workplace it is not well equipped for this types of tutoring;- economic agents claim that, although some students are well trained professionally, they do not possess those key skills necessary for development within the company.
Through project, VET teachers would develop skills for designing high-quality internships programs, and for the economic partners, skills for coordinating practical training for students, so that the future graduates develop skills necessary for a good socio-professional insertion in the labour market. Summary of the project activities:
Launching and promoting the project in the school and at the headquarters of the partner company. Creation of the package of project promotion products: website, portal, banner, roll-up, posters. Establishing the project member selection team; defining the project implementation team and assigning tasks within the team. Identifying the level of satisfaction of the students regarding the learning results obtained by them in the internships of the previous year. Dissemination of results in CP meetings and the Technologies curriculum area. Selection of study visit participants. Preparing participants for the study visit. Preparation of the study visit. Conduct of the study visit in Portugal. Validation, recognition and transfer of learning outcomes obtained by the participants in the study visit. Dissemination, within the methodical circles and technology curricular area meetings, of the good practices observed at the partners in the host country. Organization of informative and training sessions at partner company regarding the innovative practices observed in Portugal. The organization, in the school, of 5 specialized seminars, to which specialists from salons, trainers from Bacău and the counties of Neamț and Vrancea. The creation, in collaboration with the partner company, of the project products – 5 working meetings and permanent communication on the project team''s WhatsApp group13. Publication of the products on the project website, of the school, dissemination in the Teachers Council, the methodical circle meeting, the meeting of the curricular area Technologies and the national VET community (NATIONAL PROFI EICO group of teachers who teach subjects in the field of aesthetics). The application of satisfaction questionnaires for all VET students in the school, classes X-XII; centralization of results and their interpretation. Organization of the closing conference of the project.
Results:Tangible: COMPARATIVE GUIDE OF GOOD PRACTICES regarding schooling in the field of aesthetics and Human Body Hygiene, in school and at the partner company; 1 CDL for the 11th grade of high school - "NAIL STYLING"6. 1 CDL for the 11th grade of the professional school - "VANGUARD AND STYLE IN HAIR COLORING"; 1 practice book for the 11th grade high school - "NAIL STYLING" ; 1 Practice book for the 11th grade of the vocational school - "VANGUARD AND STYLE IN HAIR COLORING"; 1 Theoretical support for supporting the CDL for the 11th grade of high school - "NAIL STYLING"; 1 practical activity monitoring tool (mobile condition); 1 practical training internship evaluation tool; 3 partnership contracts with business projects defended according to ECVET specifications; Mobility presentation materials; Promotional materials: banner, roll-up, posters. Intangibles (impact indicators and long-term benefits): Developed English communication skills. Superior skills in organizing and evaluating the practical training of students at companies. Awareness of the need for permanent school-economic partners communication in order to make the training courses more efficient. Improving the image of the school in the community. Superior design skills for tools to make practical training courses more efficient. Strengthening professional and personal relationships between the study visit participants. Cultural, linguistic and professional horizon developed for mobility participants, but also for students and other VET teachers, acquired during the organized dissemination9. Reducing the communication gap between the school and partner economic agents. Strengthening the relations between the members of the department, but also between the aesthetics teachers and the students. Internationalization of the educational unit, promotion of the image of the country and Romanian culture. The project was a success because:- achieved its proposed short-term objectives- created a premise for the development of new projects and the achievement of long-term objectives- The parameters related to the field for which he applied, the budget and the proposed deadlines were respected.- The VET teachers involved have developed their capacity to implement cooperation projects; they have gained experience in the design of practice efficiency tools- The final products of the project are numerically and qualitatively superior to those assumed initially-.