The City of Kielce focuses on vocational education. The project "Closer to business and to your dream job" completed by the Kielce City Hall has resulted in films promoting vocational schools as an attractive alternative to high schools. This material is available to everyone on the popular You Tube website and can be a guide for eighth graders at the stage of choosing a secondary school. As a result of discussions and consultations with various circles, including many conversations with business and business environment institutions, 3 sectors of the economy with the shortage of qualified employees in Kielce have been selected: metalworking industry, construction industry and creative industry in the broadest sense.
The idea to produce 3 films promoting vocational education has been growing in Kielce for several years. The inspiration came from entrepreneurs who pointed in talks with Mayor Bogdan Wenta that a great difficulty for the development of companies in Kielce was the shortage of qualified workforce, in particular new generations of employees replacing long-serving staff. Particularly acute shortages are felt by the metal processing and automotive industries, which are looking for mechanics, painters, tinsmiths, welders, as well as CNC and other equipment operators.
We are also dealing with the emergence of new professions that did not exist several years ago. This is especially true in the world of social media, where the vast majority of marketing is going to. Professions such as youtuber, Google Ad specialist, copywriter, e-commerce employee are rising. Undoubtedly, the demand for specialists in the field of online promotion is on the increase, and these activities fit the definition of the creative industry, which also includes professions related to the implementation of own, original projects, including fashion.
For years, the construction industry has experienced greater difficulty in finding qualified specialists, electricians, fitters, plumbers, finishing and general construction workers. Work in the construction sector changes day by day, it is less and less physical work, and more often it is associated with the operation of modern machinery and equipment. And yet young people are reluctant to choose certain professions. On the one hand, young students have no idea what working in a construction industry looks like at present, on the other hand, they do not know the companies where they can work. Young people graduating from primary school feel lost in the maze of possibilities. Lack of maturity and rapidly changing world around them do not help them make good decisions about choosing a high school.
Parents who youngsters turn to for advice may also feel confused. They do not know the needs of local economy and what are all the possibilities of continuing education. For them, high school is often the safest option, which will allow to postpone the decision about choosing a future profession or studies.
Another group that can benefit from the project "Closer to business and to your dream job" are educators and career advisors. It is them who bear the burden of providing students with knowledge about various paths of professional development and support in making decisions. Teachers are equipped with a number of tools to work with students, such as diagnostic tests, but they do not have sufficient knowledge about the key economic sectors in the city, about locally operating companies and employers' staffing expectations. Another problem is the perception of students, parents and carers about work in a given profession, which is not always consistent with reality. As a result, many young people with general education or freshly graduated enter the labour market, but there is still a lack of qualified employees working in key industries for Kielce.
The idea behind the filmmakers was that the choice of a technical school or a trade school does not close the path of education, just the opposite: it allows to get a profession demanded for the local economy. It is necessary to present trade education as an attractive alternative to high school and to promote the "fashion" for technical and trade schools. We need a change of awareness in society and convincing young people that it is worth choosing a vocational school. This does not close the possibility of career development in the future.
The films also show the advantages of living in Kielce: the city is well-connected and compact. It provides the opportunity to develop passion, do sports, stay in the bosom of nature, enjoy entertainment. These are very important aspects of life that matter for today's youth.
As a result of the project financed by the City of Kielce, in 2022, 3 films were created to promote vocational education among primary school students, their parents and teachers. These are:
Closer to business and to your dream job: creative industry
Closer to business and to your dream job: construction industry
Closer to business and to your dream job: metalworking industry
They can be easily found on the ITV Kielce channel and via the website: https://www.kielce.eu/pl/dla-biznesu/kielce-dla-przedsiebiorcow/edukacja-przedsiebiorczosci/filmy.html in the Edukacja Przedsiebiorczosci tab.
Every year, after the end of the winter holidays, the films will be presented to eighth grade students and their parents. It is also planned to monitor whether the ambitious goal of promoting vocational education among primary school students in Kielce brings the intended results.
The idea to produce 3 films promoting vocational education has been growing in Kielce for several years. The inspiration came from entrepreneurs who pointed in talks with Mayor Bogdan Wenta that a great difficulty for the development of companies in Kielce was the shortage of qualified workforce, in particular new generations of employees replacing long-serving staff. Particularly acute shortages are felt by the metal processing and automotive industries, which are looking for mechanics, painters, tinsmiths, welders, as well as CNC and other equipment operators.
We are also dealing with the emergence of new professions that did not exist several years ago. This is especially true in the world of social media, where the vast majority of marketing is going to. Professions such as youtuber, Google Ad specialist, copywriter, e-commerce employee are rising. Undoubtedly, the demand for specialists in the field of online promotion is on the increase, and these activities fit the definition of the creative industry, which also includes professions related to the implementation of own, original projects, including fashion.
For years, the construction industry has experienced greater difficulty in finding qualified specialists, electricians, fitters, plumbers, finishing and general construction workers. Work in the construction sector changes day by day, it is less and less physical work, and more often it is associated with the operation of modern machinery and equipment. And yet young people are reluctant to choose certain professions. On the one hand, young students have no idea what working in a construction industry looks like at present, on the other hand, they do not know the companies where they can work. Young people graduating from primary school feel lost in the maze of possibilities. Lack of maturity and rapidly changing world around them do not help them make good decisions about choosing a high school.
Parents who youngsters turn to for advice may also feel confused. They do not know the needs of local economy and what are all the possibilities of continuing education. For them, high school is often the safest option, which will allow to postpone the decision about choosing a future profession or studies.
Another group that can benefit from the project "Closer to business and to your dream job" are educators and career advisors. It is them who bear the burden of providing students with knowledge about various paths of professional development and support in making decisions. Teachers are equipped with a number of tools to work with students, such as diagnostic tests, but they do not have sufficient knowledge about the key economic sectors in the city, about locally operating companies and employers' staffing expectations. Another problem is the perception of students, parents and carers about work in a given profession, which is not always consistent with reality. As a result, many young people with general education or freshly graduated enter the labour market, but there is still a lack of qualified employees working in key industries for Kielce.
The idea behind the filmmakers was that the choice of a technical school or a trade school does not close the path of education, just the opposite: it allows to get a profession demanded for the local economy. It is necessary to present trade education as an attractive alternative to high school and to promote the "fashion" for technical and trade schools. We need a change of awareness in society and convincing young people that it is worth choosing a vocational school. This does not close the possibility of career development in the future.
The films also show the advantages of living in Kielce: the city is well-connected and compact. It provides the opportunity to develop passion, do sports, stay in the bosom of nature, enjoy entertainment. These are very important aspects of life that matter for today's youth.
As a result of the project financed by the City of Kielce, in 2022, 3 films were created to promote vocational education among primary school students, their parents and teachers. These are:
Closer to business and to your dream job: creative industry
Closer to business and to your dream job: construction industry
Closer to business and to your dream job: metalworking industry
They can be easily found on the ITV Kielce channel and via the website: https://www.kielce.eu/pl/dla-biznesu/kielce-dla-przedsiebiorcow/edukacja-przedsiebiorczosci/filmy.html in the Edukacja Przedsiebiorczosci tab.
Every year, after the end of the winter holidays, the films will be presented to eighth grade students and their parents. It is also planned to monitor whether the ambitious goal of promoting vocational education among primary school students in Kielce brings the intended results.