2008
SUMMA
3
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
Experience the Retail Sector within the European Union
Delegates from six European countries ( Finland, Denmark, Lithuania, Romania, Germany and Austria) To create a network for future use is the aim for twelve persons from six different countries. This network can be used for student exchange systems and vocational training. In October this year twelve persons from six different countries gathered in Kokkola Business Institute to get to know each other for a future cooperation. This project is called “Experience the Retail Sector within the European Union” (PERLE). Those who participate in this project are Dr. Monika Thum- Kraft
from Austria, Morten Bugge from Denmark, Mats Löf and PehrGöran Kåla from Finland, Anna Ranzinger, Margit Soll and Ansgar Stecher from Germany, Daine Rinkeviciute and Alberats Filipauskas from Lithuania, and finally Eleanor Mircea, Corina Doina Prica and Cristina Buse from Romania. The aim of this project is to create a network of people from different countries that can be used to improve the quality of the vocational educational training. The project involves visits to other schools in other countries to get more information about other
schools vocational training systems. The project lasts two years and the attendants are going to meet each other about five or six times in these two years, about three times a year. Another important goal is to learn other countries school systems and curriculum. The party also intends to investigate what kinds of needs the companies have and what they are expecting from the trainees. The teachers’ point of view is also important. The basic idea behind the project is to get to know each other, understand the differences between countries and co-operate and that is why the European Union has decided to give capital for this project. We interviewed some of the participants and asked them what they think about the project and if they like Finland. Dr. Monika Thum-Kraft, Assistant managing director at an institute for research on qualifications and training of the Austrian economy, told us that she wants to learn about cultural differences and compare the Finnish school system to the Austrian school system to be able to improve the quality of the Austrian system. Dr. Monika
Thum-Kraft tells us that she has visited Finland 25 years ago. She likes the landscape with many lakes and big forests, she also describes the Finnish people as friendly. The only negative thing is the winters when it’s dark and cold, “but I’m not here then so for me it doesn’t matter” she said. Daine Rinkeviciute is a teacher of art and design history in the Trade and Business School of Kaunas, Lithuania. She hopes to improve the situation for pupils in Lithuania, she explains that pupils in Lithuania doesn’t care about vocational training because enterprises don’t look to education when they hire people. Daine Rinkeviciute has also been in Finland before, with a couple of students a few years ago she visited Rovaniemi. She likes our school because it’s “so warm and green” she also thinks that the relation between teachers and students is much closer than in Lithuania. Morten Bugge is a teacher of Economics, Computer and marketing at Niels brock Copenhagen business college in Denmark. Morten wants to have a chance to meet other teachers and discuss ideas with them, he also
wants this project to be an opportunity for schools to arrange a good student exchange system. Morten says that Finland and Denmark are almost the same but the climate is a bit colder here in Finland, he also likes the people but he thinks it’s hard to communicate if the people from Finland doesn’t know Swedish or English. Ansgar Stecher represents Metro Group Düsseldorf, Germany. He wants to give students a chance to work abroad. Ansgar is also the only one we interviewed that isn’t a teacher. Ansgar Stecher likes Finland because “it’s so quiet. The people are not stressed as in Germany.” Last but not least is Eleanor Mircea from National economic college “Gheoghe Chitu” from Romania. She says that Romania is participating for the first time and she hopes that in the end students would have the greatest use for this project. Eleanor likes Finland and she also thinks that our school is nice. Interviews: Class U05 Jacob Nylund