Vocational Training in Hospitality and Tourism in the Czech Republic

1. Vocational Training in Hospitality and Tourism in the Czech Republic AEHT HE Poděbrady, Czech Republic April 20, 2013

2. Continuous Vocational Training Formal training covers: • training as part of standard training programmes, • training course arranged by employers, • commercial training programmes, • retraining course

3. Informal training Training including everyday activities, such as • reading of newspapers, • following news broadcasts, • researches on the Internet • travel experience, and so on

4. The actors are • educational institutions (secondary schools, vocational colleges and universities), • employers, • commercial training organisations, • organisations running retraining courses, • the media (informal education)

5. VET in the Czech Republic and OECD Strengths: • The average academic level of 15 years-old measured by PISA is good. • Very low dropout = below the OECD average  • Impressive data base on education and labour market outcomes of education, one of the best the OECD team has seen  www.nuv.cz http://www.kampomaturite.cz www.maturita.cz www.infoabsolvent.cz New qualification system • National standardised exams • New tools to improve career guidance.

6. OECD: Challenges and Recommendations • The quality of apprenticeship programmes is low in comparison to general and technical programs • Problematic match between labour market demand and student choice • Long term outline respected by every new minister • Career guidance is under two Ministries: the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs = the system is fragmented • To involve employers, unions and guilds in VET

7. Tertiary Vocational Schools/Colleges • Colleges were introduced to respond to increasing demand from the work market (1992) • Introduced into the network but no separate act • Tertiary VE develops and expands knowledge and skills acquired in upper secondary school vocational areas • At present 172 schools • 113 in the AVOŠ www.asociacevos.cz • Co-existence with secondary vocational level = advantages and problems

8. Tertiary Vocational Schools/Colleges • Courses last 3 and half years • Admission requirements are the same as those for university entrance: an upper secondary education leaving certificate at the end of 4 years of upper secondary education • School fee !! • School heads have the authority to decide whether to require an entrance exam and to determine its contents.

9. What is to be measured: knowledge alone or also other skills and abilities? • The recent model of the final examinations focused mainly on the assessment of knowledge • But today we expect more emphasis on key competencies (skills, abilities) • We also expect that this emphasis will be the same during the internal examination process.

10. In/Formal Certification • Language certificates: pre-testing and testing • Professional certificates: - bartender/baristic/sommelier courses - cold cuisine - carving from fruit and vegetables - confectionery … • School-leaving certificate • Diploma • Europass

11. Formal Certification • Evaluation scale = a four-point scale • Evaluation methods: exams and requirements to fulfill, with or without evaluation • Studies end with an absolutorium,= theoretical exam in a vocational discipline and a foreign language in addition to a defence of a thesis • The thesis theme is set at least six months before the absolutorium exams.

12. Certification • Each absolutorium exam is evaluated on a four level scale: excellent, very good, good and insufficient • Accomplished absolutorium evaluation is organized on the three-level scale (passed with honors, passed, not passed) • Graduates are considered specialists with a diploma and are entitled to use the initials DiS (Diplomed Specialist) after their last name

13. PWF: Drop outs in Poděbrady College • General reasons: learning difficulties, social problems or a lack of motivation, guidance or support • 14.4% in Europe, less than 10% ČR, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Slovinia • In the CzR no problem with immigrant students • Massive drop out 50% after the 1st semester • But pupils who took part in four or more activities with employers during the study five times less likely to drop out of school or training

14. PWF: Demographic falls • http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/key_data_series/134EN.pdf • All pupils from primary schools = 70% of the capacity in secondary schools • Colleges and universities affected

15. Colleges: Existance in disfavour • No safe future • No co-operative atmosphere in tertiary sphere • Positive feedback from employers and graduates

16. Konrad Liessmann: Theory ofMiseducation (Unbildung) • Criticises the current education level in Europe • It does not fulfil the ideal of "learned society" but it rather serves political and economic interests • Curricula are overloaded • Europe wanted tertiary graduates fast = devalued Bachelor studies

17. Konrad Liessmann: Theory of Miseducation (Unbildung) • Bachelor graduatesare difficult to place on the labour market = not wanted at the labour market = 80% go on to Master studies !!! • Quantity in Bachelor Studies is not quality Education is more than economy and trading !!