MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

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February, 14. The Issues of interaction between vocational education institutions and organizations in the real sector of the economy in the training of qualified personnel were discussed by participants at the meeting of the Republican Council of College Leaders in Novopolotsk.

Among the participants: leadership of the Ministry of Education, members of the Republican Council of College Leaders, representatives of the main education departments of regional executive committees, the education committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee, the Republican Institute of Vocational Education, and heads of enterprises.

When the floor was passed to the First Deputy Minister of Education Alexander Bakhanovich, he noted that the Republican Council of College Leaders was created to develop recommendations on the main issues of development of vocational and secondary specialized education, including improving the interaction of colleges with personnel customers, forming a state order for personnel training, improving organization of the teaching and educational process, improvement of the material and technical base and scientific and methodological support.

Dwelling on the key tasks to be quickly resolved, Alexander Bakhanovich indicated that personnel issues is the most important in the work of any manager, and the director’s task is to create positive motivation among industrial training masters, teachers and all employees, including both material incentives and additional social package, which provides the opportunity to get a place in a dormitory, continue professional education, become a real professional through internships at high-tech enterprises as well as take part in professional skills competitions.

Second task is to create conditions for the development of young teachers and their retention in the college, namely: appointing a mentor from among experienced workers; referral for advanced training, and, if necessary, retraining; creating the opportunity to receive higher education via correspondence.

Particular attention is paid to meeting the planned admission figures. It was noted that to ensure enrollment, the Ministry of Education jointly with interested parties, is implementing a set of measures. These include admission of applicants through a competition based on the average score of the educational certificate; the possibility of additional recruitment for places remaining vacant, as well as the possibility of increasing the budgetary recruitment for the most popular vocational education specialties in the economy in case of additional needs of personnel customers.

“It should be noted that colleges are conducting active career guidance work. At the same time, I would like to emphasize that there must be a clearly structured system for ensuring recruitment, including: active participation in forecasting the need in personnel of customers; development of admission plans in full accordance with the needs of the region; carrying out career guidance for young people in close cooperation with basic organizations in all areas: positioning the college on the Internet, open days, participation in target training fairs, work in schools, professional skills competitions,” emphasized the First Deputy Minister.

Among other significant tasks assigned to college leaders, it was emphasized that the quality of the following processes must be monitored on an ongoing basis: organizing individual preventive work with students and their legal representatives; encouraging students for high results in educational and social activities based on the results of the half-year (semester); providing psychological and pedagogical support for students who have difficulties in adaptation, difficulties in studying certain academic subjects.

It is necessary to intensify work aimed to involve students in associations of interests, organize more meetings with representatives of enterprises to familiarize themselves with working conditions and employment prospects, to help students find sustainable professional interests necessary for their future successful self-realization through participation in professional competitions and youth initiatives and projects.

Special attention is given to the formation of student self-government bodies, ensuring the effectiveness of their activities, plus, it is necessary to build effective interaction with the primary organization of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union.

Another serious issue to which Alexander Bakhanovich drew attention to is that in order to strengthen the material base of colleges, the Ministry of Education and the founders have developed appropriate action plans, which define the volumes and sources of funding for a three-year period. The main thing is to fulfill these plans.

“In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the issue of the effectiveness of the activities of colleges and their leaders is under constant control of the Head of State, the Government, the Ministry of Education and government bodies. I instruct the Republican Council to consider all the problematic issues raised at meetings of regional councils,” summed up the First Deputy Minister of Education.