Vocational College discusses the future of vocational education
On 29 April, starting at 10 a.m., Tartu Vocational College openes an international vision conference on the future of vocational education and training, #sajagatulevikku. Participants are expected from 19 countries.
Although the event is dedicated to the school’s 100th anniversary, this time the focus is on the future instead of the past. “We are a school with a long and distinguished history. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of our first predecessor, the Tartu School of Woodworking and Ironmongery. But as well as remembering the past, it is also important to look to the future. In our organisation, we have been engaged in creating both an internal experience and a vision for the future, and now we want to go broader and look at vocational education as a whole,” explains Raini Jõks, Director of Tartu Vocational College.
According to Sigrid Ester Tan, the organiser of the vision conference and coordinator of workplace-based learning, the conference programme has been put together with the aim of not getting stuck in today’s crises, but looking to the future, beyond the national borders an as an educational community. “To be a sustainable, popular and respected educational choice alongside all other educational pathways, we need to dare to dream big and look for new solutions,” she said. “We already have great initiatives. For example, in international cooperation we have taken the role of pioneering the development of hydrogen technology curricula at vocational education and training level across Europe. As a school, we need to look for new outlets, new target groups of learners to keep up with global developments. Our strengths in the form of digital learning solutions give us new opportunities to do this,” said Tani, citing examples from the activities of the Tartu Cocational College.
The conference programme includes both presentations and panel discussions. Raul Eamets, Professor of Macroeconomics at the University of Tartu, will speak on Estonia’s educational vision 2035, while Enn Lust, Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Tartu, will discuss hydrogen technologies and the green revolution. Panel discussions will focus on the internationalisation of vocational education and training, centres of excellence in vocational education and the possibility of a seamless education system. The conference will be moderated by Urmas Vaino.
The conference can be watched on-site in the school’s conference hall (Kopli 1, Tartu) or online. The web programme will take place in a worksup environment and will be streamed live and available to watch HERE. All those interested in education are welcome to participate using event ID sajagatulevikku.
Participants are kindly asked to register at: bit.ly/sajagatulevikku
More information:
Sigrid Ester Tani
organizer
e-mail: sigrid.tani@voco.ee