Vocational training is for those who fail to complete upper secondary education. The prejudice exists among many young people, their parents and peers and characterize VET reputation. Prejudices reflects far from reality. CeFUs study, published in early February, shows that most young people first of all choose a vocational training because of professional interest.
Catalogue of ideas to improve the reputation
The Ministry of Education had therefore invited to Ideforum Thursday, March 4. Among the invitees were representatives of skoleleder-, teacher and student organizations as well as LO and DA. Together they were to develop and share ideas on how business schools reputation can be improved. In his welcoming speech to the participants acknowledged Head of vocational education and training Søren Hansen, that it is a big task to change the business school's reputation, and that does not happen at a "magic". He therefore stressed the importance of cooperation and knowledge sharing on good ideas and initiatives. Within idéforummet had the Ministry of Education collected ideas from participants and others associated with vocational training in a catalog. The aim of the day was to develop the catalog of ideas, so good ideas can be retrieved and put into action when the opportunity presents itself.
Good ideas in play
During the day the participants discussed in groups different ideas, and at the end of the day the groups presented the best ideas for each other. More good ideas came along. One of the ideas that were presented, the initiative was "Build a House", which since 2001 has operated successfully for UU Sydvestjylland. It is an educational project, which runs from 3rd to 6th grade levels where students annually spend four to six weeks to build a house; a project that among other things integrates the subjects of Danish, mathematics, history, art and woodwork. High school students build so the house during a visit to a vocational school, and it gives students an early introduction to vocational training. Another idea was to organize a day when school students have the opportunity to spend a day in one of the business schools' workshops to create a product. In the evening, the parents then invited parents meeting, where they can hear about the programs and see what their child has done. This could give both students and parents a good idea of what you are doing at a vocational school. An idea that was widely agreed, was to make the good stories about VET more visible, including using students from vocational training as ambassadors for education. By using so many ambassadors as possible would VET many different career opportunities reach out to young people and their parents.
Idépostkassen is still open
For Soren Hansen was the day rewarding and he was especially fond of the concrete ideas that had come on the pitch. "To change the business school's reputation is a long process, which will start with concrete initiatives, and I think that many of the ideas today were constructive," said han.Ideerne which was presented at the meeting, are now written into the catalog of ideas and thus becomes part of possible initiatives for the future. Soren Hansen stressed that "the mailbox for new ideas" is still open after idéforummet so that even more ideas to improve the business school's reputation can reach the light.
Send your idea to the Ministry of Education If you have an idea for how VET reputation can be improved you can email it to Ms. Cooper at: ulla.boedker@uvm.dk
Source: Ministry of Education 
