Recent activities of the Institute for Vocational Education
Professor Kaiser presents the demand of the Stifterverband for vocational training in Berlin
Particularly in the industrial-technical area, all federal states are plagued by considerable recruitment problems for vocational schools. On the „Tag der Bildung“ ("Day for Education") on December 8th, a joint initiative of the Stifterverband der Wissenschaft, the SOS Children's Villages and the German Children and Youth Foundation, is therefore addressing this year's main event in Berlin with the topic "Vocational training". On the initiative of the Stifterverband, on this day, Professor Franz Kaiser of the University of Rostock presents to the Conference of Ministers of Education demands for the securing of up-and-coming teachers at the vocational schools. Franz Kaiser explains this in his keynote speech at F.A.Z. Atrium in Berlin in the presence of Elke Büdenbender, the wife of the Federal President, and the Schleswig-Holstein Minister of Culture Karin Prien the urgency of the qualification of vocational school teachers. "Vocational education and training must once again be recognized as the first choice and a successful path to working life," emphasizes Professor Kaiser.
Students of Vocational Education form tandem with young refugees
In a two-month training coaching for young refugees organized by the Youth Migration Service Rostock (JMD – Jugendmigrationsdienst), students of vocational education are involved for the second time. In a get-together, the 17 students first have to know their future tandem partners. Further meetings, starting with biographical work and a professional orientation followed, so the tandems could develop their CVs and application letters independently. During this time, the young migrant participants were given a lot of interesting information about the training and vocational system in Germany and also could gather practical experiences.
"This is a win-win situation," summarizes Tilo Segert, head of the JMD Rostock. "The young refugees appreciate the offer, because it conveys good and compact content and takes them a big step forward. In addition, they come into contact with peers, who have often already undergone training themselves and have dealt a lot with those processes." Several internships and training relationships had been achieved through the program in the past. For young people after arriving in Germany, finding a job is one of the most important and often the most difficult step.
The participating scientists, Prof. Dr. Mathias Götzl and Dr. Philipp Struck from the Institute for Vocational Education at the University of Rostock, see benefits for all who are involved in the program. The students get to know young people with migration background, the young refugees get help for their career entry and important insights in a little researched area can be gained from the tandems for the scientists. In the following summer semester in 2018 the University of Rostock will participate again in the successful project.
Professor of the University of Rostock advises EU Commission on VET research
On November 21st, Professor Franz Kaiser from the Institute for Vocational Education of the University of Rostock will travel to Brussels at the invitation of the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Qualification Marianne Thyssen to the European Vocational Skills Week. On behalf of the Commission, he will advise selected vocational education and training researchers from the member states on the future agenda of European VET research. His expertise, which based on his experience in the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), lies in the management of VET. "At all levels of VET, we face the challenge of having to change in order to maintain the attractiveness of VET. All the more valuable is the international cooperation." emphasizes Professor Kaiser.
The connection of vocational research from Rostock and the european VET network was last used at the international conference on vocational education and training, which Professor Kaiser and his colleague Susann Krugmann organized in Rostock in August 2017. More than 100 researchers from all over the world, which are part of the "International Research Network Vocational Education and Training (IRNVET)", came to Rostock for the conference with the core theme "Participation and Social Dimension of Vocational Training", in order to discuss the advices for the meeting in Brussels.
Swedish Vocational Education Expert for a Consulting Visit at the Institute for Vocational Education
At the end of June, Sylvia Tutzauer Lindqvist from the Swedish central school authority (Skolverket) attended the Institute for Vocational Education and talked to Prof. Dr. Kaiser and Martin French about developments in vocational education in Sweden.
In particular, the current approaches in Sweden to the dualization of vocational education in the context of the "Lärlingsutbildning", which is the responsibility of Mrs. Tutzauer Lindqvist at the Skolverket, were discussed. Other topics were the current challenges associated with the high level of refugees in Sweden, teacher training for vocational schools as well as the question of an appropriate assurance of vocational education in rural areas. The consultation is in the context of the study on the Swedish vocational education system, which is currently being written by Martin French and Prof. Franz Kaiser.
Presentation at the VI. International Conference & Research Workshop in Stockholm (May 2017)
Related to the Study about the Swedish VET System by order of the BIBB Prof. Kaiser was invited to speak at the International VET-Conference at Stockholm University. The paper he presented is discussing the VET System in Sweden from a german perspective. Engaged in the study are some Swedish experts from administration, politic and research and Martin French from the Chair of Business, Economics and Entrepreneurship Education at the University of Rostock.
First student survey of the Instiute for Vocational Education
For the first time the Institute for Vocational Education (ibp) carried out a student survey in summer semester 2017. It aims to record the study organisation, study conditions as well as the general studiabilty for the students as a foundation for a continuous improvement of the quality of studies and teaching. From now on a student survey will be implemented every year. Overall in the tendency of all items a positive rating for the study organisation, conditions and studiabilty at ibp was given. The survey focussed on:
- consultation offers by ibp
- study conditions in the vocational studies
- study conditions in the first subjects
- study progress
- general study satisfaction
Potential analyses - a way to improve vocational and study orientation in schools?
On June 14th, Dr. Claudia Kalisch is invited to the Institute of Vocational Education, Work and Technology (biat) at Europa-Universität Flensburg. She will lecture about an analysis of actual challenges in vocational and study orientation at schools and contourings of recent developments in this field in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Also an insight to the new project "Potenzialanalyse M-V" will be provided.
Students help young refugees to enter the job market
In the summer semester 2017, the Institute for Vocational Education, together with the Youth Migration Service of the charitable organization “Arbeiterwohlfahrt” (AWO), hosted the cooperation project "Learn through Commitment", in which students supported young refugees in choosing a profession and searching for an internship or an apprenticeship.
Ten student teachers participated in the seminar “Learning through commitment - To professional orientation on the basis of biographical case reconstruction of young people with migration background", which was chaired by Prof. Dr. Mathias Götzl and Dr. Philipp Struck. The course combines academic teaching-learning processes with social commitment to the vocational promotion of integration. Among other things, the students were to gain an overview of the vocational promotion of integration in general and a specific target group in particular, to raise awareness of the problems of young people with an immigration background, and yet to become familiar with biographic case reconstruction and to develop approaches.
Likewise, young people with a refugee background could benefit from the project as well. They made contacts with people of the same age from the region, gained additional insight into the (vocational) education system and received individual support within the framework of training coaching (in particular biographical work for vocational orientation, preparation of CVs and other application documents). For this purpose, the individual strengths and competences of the young people with a refugee background were worked out.
Employee of AWO Tilo Segert is convinced of the positive success of the project: "Already during the Project “Learning through Commitment” I perceived as particularly rewarding and successful the encounter between the German students and the fled youths. Young people with a flight experience often have difficulties to come into contact with local people of the same age or make friendships. This was made possible by the project. Due to their presence, the students of the University of Rostock were not only able to motivate them to take part in our vocational orientation course, but also to specifically prepare application documents with them for their further professional development and thus to encourage them to take an important step towards a successful integration.” A continuation of the project is therefore planned for the coming winter semester.
Fotos: © ITMZ | University of Rostock
Workshop: Teaching Research oriented to the Methodology of Economic Teaching
On 18 and 19 May 2017, for two days, experts in methodology of economic teaching from the Universities of Hamburg, Hanover, Kassel, Cologne, Kiel, Magdeburg and Rostock met at the Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg to discuss current topics, problems and perspectives of a teaching research oriented to the methodology of economic teaching and to explore communal research perspectives. The initiative of Prof. Dr. Robert W. Jahn (University of Magdeburg) and Prof. Dr. Mathias Götzl (University of Rostock), which began last year with a joint workshop in Magdeburg, is to be continued and intensified in the coming years. Further network meetings and initial joint projects for the further development of methodology-oriented teaching research are planned.
Challenges of vocational education and training courses worked out at the 19th Conference on Vocational Training in Cologne
On the initiative of the Institute for Vocational Education of the University of Rostock, university lecturers from more than a dozen vocational education and training centers came together for a workshop on the challenges and approaches concerning the teacher training programmes for vocational schools. Here you can read more
Forum Vocational Teaching Methodology
On March 9 and 10, 2017, representatives of various universities and professional disciplines in Rostock met for the first time to exchange ideas on current concepts of the professional didactic training of vocational school teachers. More can be read here
A plea for greater sustainability of vocational training
In a special issue of the "biwifo-report", a supplement to the membership magazine of the German services trade-union "VerDI", Prof. Dr. Franz Kaiser pleads for a stronger anchoring of sustainability in vocational education.
In particular, the social dimension and the contradictions between growth orientation of the economy on the one hand and sustainability on the other hand should come more into play there.
The paper goes back to Prof. Kaiser's lecture on the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) sustainability conference in July of last year.
New project "Self-Exploration and Promotion of Individual Decisions"
The promotion of vocational orientation at general education schools in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the central objective of the project "Self-Explorarion and Promotion of Individual Decisions" (Selbsterkundung und Förderung individueller Entscheidungen – SelFiE). In charge of this project is Dr. Claudia Kalisch at the Institute of Vocational Education, in cooperation with the "Center for Teacher Training and Educational Research", ZLB. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. In the next two and a half years, a procedure for carrying out "potential analysis" in grades 7, 8 and 9 will be developed at general education schools. The project is embedded in the school model project "Integrated Professional Orientation" of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which is headed by the State Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. 21 general education schools of the state are involved in this project. The kick-off event took place on February 28, 2017 in Schwerin with an impulse of state education minister, Birgit Hesse, who gave the "go-ahead" for the model project.
New member of the Editorial Advisory Board of "IJRVET"
Prof. Franz Kaiser has been invited to join the Editorial Board of "IJRVET". The International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training is a double-blind peer-reviewed Journal for VET-related research. The articles of the three issues per year can be accessed online.
Professional and study orientation on the "IQ M-V winter academy"
For the first time "professional and study orientation" has been a topic on the winter academy of Institute for Quality Development Mecklenburg-Western Pomeria (IQ M-V). The training offer is dedicated to teachers of public schools. Dr. Claudia Kalisch is co-organiser and lecturer at the forum on 7th February.