THE OPERATION OF CYPRUS EVENING TECHNICAL SCHOOLS FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR ADULTS PRESENTED BY: YIANNIS KAPITANIS, ASSISTANT HEAD TEACHER AND SUPERVISOR OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING CLASSES OF TECHNICAL SCHOOLS OF LARNACA 1 To give a chance to adults who: • Would like to update their skills and competencies in their profession • have dropped out of school and are employed in professions without the necessary qualifications • want to get into a new profession and acquire new skills • have never had the opportunity to attend a Technical School in the past • want to further their education and training in higher Institutes, Colleges and Universities 2 • to provide quality education and training • enhance skills and competencies • help people enter the labour market with new skills • improve people as individuals and community members • assist individuals to keep their jobs • help people avoid unemployment and social exclusion 3 Based on the needs of the adults VET offers two different types of Education and Training: 1. Afternoon and Evening Classes of Technical Schools 2. Evening Technical Schools Both are offered and administrated by the Technical and Vocational Education Department, which is under the Ministry of Education and Culture. 4 Two Programs Running A. Three Year program: • duration is 3 academic years • classes take place in the evening twice a week • teaching and training is offered only in the specialization chosen by the adults • final exams take place at the end of every year • adults receive a Diploma on their specialization • diploma is only recognized in the work market 5 B. One Year program: • lasts 80 hours yearly • classes take place in the evening once a week • includes only training • no final examination • adults receive a Certificate of attendance Major characteristic: All adults pay tuition fees for their education and training 6 For adults who: • have a good command of the Greek language • dropped out of school a) in their initial secondary education or b) in the upper secondary education (before graduation) • graduated from upper secondary general education • graduated from Colleges and Universities • graduated from any secondary private schools Almost everyone can enroll 7 take place: • in all VET schools across Cyprus • in classrooms and training labs where the infrastructure is modern and meets the labour market’s standards Thus teaching is enhanced by the use of technology (computers, projectors, television, internet access, etc.). In addition, VET teachers have professional experience prior to teaching, therefore it ensures the quality of teaching and learning outcomes. 8 History First Evening Technical School • established in Nicosia in September of 1999 • operating and servicing adults the last 14 years • 160 students are currently enrolled Second Evening Technical School • established in Limassol in February 2012 • Currently is operating with 94 adults 9 One Program Running: Prerequisite to attend: adults must complete their compulsory education (lasts 9 years) • duration of program is four 4 academic years • classes take place in the evening • adults attend school five days a week • teaching includes General and Technical education courses • The curriculum is the same as the one offered in the morning classes 10 • curriculum can some times be adapted to the particular needs and characteristics of the students who attend the evening classes • final exams take place at the end of every year • Graduation Diploma is awarded and is equivalent to the one awarded by the morning Technical Schools and General High Schools Major characteristic: Education and Training is free 11 Initial Secondary • provided that they hold an initial Education Graduates Secondary Education Certificate • Adults are only obligated to Upper Secondary attend the technological and Education graduates laboratory classes of their chosen field of study or specialization Apprenticeship • Adults are entitled to enroll graduates provided they succeed in the written admission exams Adults who attended private schools and the • provided they succeed in the language of instruction written admission exams is other than Greek 12 After completing their studies adults have the opportunity to: • be employed directly into the labour market with favourable terms of employment • pursue further studies in private Institutions of Tertiary Education in Cyprus, or overseas • compete in the National examinations for acceptance in public Institutions of Tertiary Education, either in Cyprus or in Greece 13 Our success in both programs of VET relies mostly on the methodology we apply in both the teaching and training methods we use. Methods of teaching: Combination of Theoretical and practical part Stages: 1. Theory 2. Demonstration 3. Students Practical training 4. Evaluation 14 Instructor teaches the theoretical part of the lesson by using various tools such as: • projector • tv • computers • internet • CDs • videos etc. 15 Instructor demonstrates the practical part of the method to be used for the particular lesson 16 Students practice what they have learned during the practical demonstration by the instructor. The instructor assists and guides the students 17 At the end of the class, students: 1. get evaluated by the instructor 2. evaluate themselves 3. evaluate the training process and the product 4. make suggestions on how to improve: a) the quality of training and b) the quality of the finished product 18 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION THE END 19 .