Description
The strategic objective of the project is to upgrade the content, methods and improve the outcomes of education towards the needs of the labour market in a knowledge-based society. The objective is also to enhance the adaptability of graduates to the requirements of employers. The target groups of the project are school managers, teachers and students in both, Slovak and Norwegian schools. The project focuses on following students’ key competences: communication in foreign languages, digital competence, learning to learn, social and civic competences, sense of initiative and entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression. These will be developed through organizing excursions, professional internships in companies (focus on travel and tourism, information technology), creating presentations, videos and sharing work in international teams during the project meetings. Institutional cooperation and partnership is in the project developed through the study visits of schools managers and teachers. Donor partner, Fraena upper secondary school, will actively participate in all project activities. The partnership will have positive impact on the educational offer of the partner schools, which will be directed towards the creation of an active and conscious citizenship in the context of the European vision of personal responsibility and competence.
Summary of project results
The project was developing bilateral cooperation between secondary vocational schools in Levice and Elnesvaagen. The need for the project was affected by common needs of the partners to develop key competences of students, upgrade the school curriculum, gain knowledge about the latest trends in vocational training and to expand the use of ICT in teaching. It was also needed to adapt vocational training to the requirements of employers in the regions Nitra and More og Romsdal and thereby increase graduates´ adaptability in the labour market. The main topics of the project were natural and cultural heritage, tourism, energy and sustainable development. Project objectives were fulfilled through 6 transnational meetings, development of common materials, organizing 2 intensive courses for students and plenty of excursions focused on themes of the project. 12 Slovak and 12 Norwegian students and teachers from both schools recognized the natural, technical and cultural heritage of partner countries, waste and energy management, including alternative energy sources, prospective forms of tourism, organic production of organic food, automation of machine production in the automotive components industry, and various aspects of sustainable development. Participants, gained new knowledge from geography, history, energy, ecology, technology, tourism, marketing communication, ethnography and developed communication skills, tolerance and multiculturalism. The planned goals were met. Created materials bring new forms of education in technical fields - automation and programming, developing entrepreneurial skills, enhancing the European dimension in education. Wider benefits of the partnership are reflected in improvement of cooperation of both schools with the social partners, local authorities and employers at the local, regional and international level in order to strengthen the position of schools in the context of an open school system. The partnership will use acquired knowledge, experience and developed materials to improve the quality of education at both schools. The project strengthened competitiveness of schools in the region and extended the application of the principles of sustainable development in education.
Summary of bilateral results
Donor project partner Fræna upper-secondary school from Elnesvaagen, Norway was an equal partner involved in all project activities. Norwegian school organized three project meetings, developed vocational materials, organized interesting excursions in accordance to the project content. The schools jointly prepared PC presentations, videos, photographs, publicity and methodological materials from the workshops and excursions, 3-lingual English - Norwegian - Slovak dictionary with phrases and vocabulary related to tourism, cultural heritage, energy, sustainable development and pedagogical documentation. Bilateral relations have been strengthened and gained new level that often escalated into personal friendships among the students as well as the teachers. Partners were inspired by each other on issues related to managing, teaching practices and extra-curricular activities.