Tartu Vocational College 100 years celebration seminaar
Our long-time project partner Tartu Vocational College (Tartu Kutsehariduskeskus) had its 100th birthday this year. To celebrate this and their new English name, VOCO invited its international project partners and partners to discuss the future of and vision for vocational training in a seminar held in Tartu on 29 April 2022. Representatives from Finland, Denmark and Croatia were invited to a panel discussion. Our school (Business College Helsinki) was represented by rector Antti Sirainen. Managing Director Antti Loukola and Director of Customer Relations and Marketing Vesa Jokela also attended the seminar.
Central topics in the panel discussion were how vocational training is arranged, how the learning of students is supported, and what kind of models of cooperation with working life have been created in the schools of the countries that were represented in the panel discussion. At the end of the panel discussion, there was a lively exchange of views on how the future of vocational training is seen in the light of changes in the knowhow of different environments and in the light of decisions concerning schooling in the different countries. This theme was discussed in more detail in a panel discussion concerning the possibility of flexible learning.
Business College Helsinki has cooperated with VOCO e.g. in disseminating effective information, advice, and guidance tools to improve vocational education and training students retention and success (IAG4VET). There have also been partnership projects for the development of different school marketing channels (IN4MARE).
The schools want to strengthen the role of vocational training as an important partner in developing working life by creating Centres of Vocational Excellence (COVE) in Europe. Europe needs new innovations. To make these innovations possible, there must be collaboration across boundaries between companies, education providers, and other players. The Centres of Vocational Excellence gather different players together and act as a breeding ground for new innovations, for the development of education, and for the employment of students. Business College Helsinki is one of the partners in this project along with VOCO. Hence,our close international cooperation with VOCO will continue in the future, too!
