Soensterud 6/2019

Transnational Project Meeting, held at Soloer vgs. Soensterud, Gjesåsen was attended by representatives of 5 project partners (Norway, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Spain and Croatia).

This was already the third transnational project meeting where project partners met. In addition to working discussions and workshops on project outcomes, we also discussed the experience of vocational training in Norway. All participating partners appreciated especially the flexibility and duality of vocational training. In Norway, pupils first study for two years at school, where they receive both theoretical and practical training. After completing their training at the school, they complete the next two years at the companies where they complete the final examination. If someone wants to continue studying at university, another year of school preparation is necessary.

The founder from the region presented the education system in Norway in a comprehensive way. In secondary education, pupils have the possibility to choose from 13 educational fields that are further subdivided into relevant professions. Training programs are closely related to the needs of the region. In the next section, we focused on cooperation between partners in vocational education and training. The most important partners are the state that defines the framework education program, the region responsible for managing, monitoring and funding the school, as well as the social partners - businesses and organizations, where pupils receive practical training. As in any country, there are major efforts in Norway to promote vocational training for the needs of the regional labour market. It is important to motivate pupils in choosing the right school in order to prevent early school leaving.

In addition to the professional program, we were also able to learn about the natural attractions of the region. We followed the footsteps of the old forest Finns in Finnskogen, and for a while we found ourselves in neighbouring Sweden. We also visited the Forestry Museum in Elverum, a traditional farm and tried a barbecue from an elk caught freshly by school pupils.