Kropyvnytskyi Vocational Lyceum joined the second phase of the Ukrainian-Swiss EdUP project in 2018. The team immediately started upgrading the plumbing sector. They were also motivated by the fact that the lyceum is the only vocational school in the region that trains plumbers.
“Our graduates are often employed by local municipal and private construction companies. Moreover, as citizens, we are to some extent consumers of the services of our graduates, so we train everyone to the best of our ability,” says Olha Horokh, director of the Kropyvnytskyi Vocational Lyceum.
Participation in the EdUP project has brought many positive changes to the school. Olha Horokh tells about them below.
About communication
The lyceum notes that over the past few years, there has been a demand for plumbers at the regional level. At the same time, communication of the benefits of vocational education at the national level has improved significantly.
“We, the educators, can only promote the message of the prestige of blue-collar professions in our communities, while the attention of the authorities adds weight. I really remember one of the meetings between the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science and us, the directors of vocational schools. We talked about support for the sector, including communication. I am happy to say that we were heard then. The way the ministry is now communicating vocational education is just wow! This format really interests young people. Now teenagers come to us and ask about professions and training conditions. Businesses have also taken notice of us. Of course, such a result is a set of measures, but the change in the image of vocational education is very noticeable,” says the lyceum director.
On the upgrade of the logistics facilities
The modern plumbing training centre was set up in 2017. The equipment was purchased on the basis of co-financing: part of the funds came from the state and local budgets, and the school’s resources were also used.
“After we modernised the educational space, replaced equipment and machinery, the quality of training for plumbing students improved. The creation of the training and practical centre also affected the work with applicants. When they come with their parents for a tour and see the centre, they immediately realise that they are receiving high-quality knowledge. Even girls have started to take an interest in becoming plumbing system and equipment installers,” emphasises Olha.
About the business communications training
On 1-2 June 2023, EdUP held a two-day event for the project’s participating institutions. On the first day, a professional skills competition was held among the nail technicians, and a training on how to communicate with business was held for the directors and their deputies. The next day, all participants took part in a forum on Best Practices of Public-Private Partnerships in Vocational Education.
“The training was very interesting. We dived into the essence, figured out what to do and how to do it when cooperating with business. In addition, participation in panel discussions and the Install Fest exhibition inspired me to develop. I heard a lot of opinions and got ideas for the development of the lyceum. For example, I really liked the case of Rivne region in the development of public-private partnerships and the involvement of employers in cooperation. This is an opportunity to update the content of education, to train graduates who will fully meet the expectations of business, and in this way, it is also possible to update the material and technical base of a vocational school,” says Olga Gorokh.
In addition, during the forum, the director became interested in the idea of creating a Qualification Centre, an institution that assesses learning outcomes. Based on its results, a full or partial professional qualification can be awarded. Such centres do not provide training, but only assess knowledge for compliance with a professional standard.
“I am very grateful to the EdUP project for organising the event, selecting topics and speakers. I lacked knowledge about Qualification Centres, but the forum on best practices of public-private partnerships in vocational education and training provided a lot of useful information about them. Of course, accreditation of such a centre is not an easy task: you need to have appropriate programmes, confirm the qualifications of the experts who will carry out the assessment, have equipment, and so on. After our victory, there will be a great demand for construction workers, including plumbers. Therefore, the ability to quickly confirm qualifications and get a work permit will be a popular service. We need to prepare for these requests in advance,” says Olha Gorokh.
About adult training
Before the outbreak of full-scale war, the lyceum had 4 short-term courses for adults. The results of the training were certified. The war put the courses on hold, but now the lyceum notes that interest in them is returning. In the summer, they want to launch an advert for the courses and start enrolling students.
“We'll try to launch advanced training programmes or vocational training for adults. The latter is more interesting because it allows us to issue a certificate of a skilled worker based on the results of training. Why is this important? Workers who work as unskilled labourers or those who do not have a confirmed category are paid less. An official document allows you to get admission to perform certain work, which means more income. Of course, we are interested in graduates being competitive and successful,” explains Olha.
What did you like most about EdUP?
The team at Kropyvnytskyi Vocational Lyceum says the most interesting thing was the business planning course. In addition to learning about methods of analysis, process management and strategic planning, they were also able to assess their needs for the coming years.
“Our business plan was about updating the material and technical base, including the dormitory. We clearly structured our needs and found out what needed to be done. We have now submitted a plan to modernise the dormitory to the regional authorities. If we succeed in implementing this project, we will be able not only to improve the living conditions of students but also to become a reliable shelter for internally displaced persons,” says Olha Horokh.
As part of the second phase of EdUP, Kropyvnytskyi Vocational Lyceum, like other project participants, received support with consumables for practical training.
“EdUP purchased consumables for the plumbing centre. We used the special fund to buy certain tools and were able to replace 8 vertical heating pipes in the building. The work on replacing the network was carried out by plumbing students as part of their state qualification certification. By the way, the students were happy that their work was not in vain: they did not just assemble a training structure, but performed a specific good deed,” says the director of the vocational school.
What are your wishes for EdUP?
The lyceum staff constantly monitors construction trends and tries to show the benefits of a working profession to teenagers.
“It's no secret that today's young people like everything to be beautiful, stylish and modern. And this is normal for a young person. But we faced a lack of knowledge on our part. For example, when we plan to renovate the lyceum's toilets, we buy new plumbing, but we don't know how to design it. At present, it is all done to the taste of the contractor, which young people do not always like. So there is a request for design training at EdUP: perhaps there are ready-made design projects for bathrooms, toilets, kitchens, boiler rooms, or we could be trained in the basic rules of design, colour and texture combinations,” says Olha Horokh.
The institution would also like to be supported with computer equipment to improve the quality of blended learning at the institution.
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The Public-Private Partnership to Improved Plumbing Education (EdUP) is a project of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, in partnership with Geberit Trading LLC, implemented by Swisscontact Foundation for Technical Cooperation and supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.