Hungary: creative technicums

Creativity matters

Creativity has become an important skill promoting the effectiveness of learning and work. Developing it as a pedagogical task affects education and training as a whole, as it improves the quality of education, schools’ results and students’ success.

In response to its rising importance, the ministry responsible for VET set up a new programme with the professional support of the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME). The goal of the programme is to reinforce the implementation of a creative pedagogical approach in which all participants involved – including learners, teachers, heads of institutions, parents, professional or other partners outside of school – can experience the positive effect of the creative atmosphere and creative processes on the development of their learning and working abilities.

Creative technicums for creative VET

The purpose of this programme is the decisive shift of VET towards the creative industry. The MOME and representatives of all institutions which voluntarily and excitedly indicated their intention to participate in the implementation of the programme are excellent partners.

The project aimed at supporting the institutional development of ‘Creative technicums’ was established as one of the elements of the cooperation between the ministry and the MOME. A total of 11 VET institutions were selected based on the extent in which they teach creative professions, e.g. fashion tailor, ceramic and porcelain makers, theatre and event technician, decorator, graphic designer, printing technician.

A system of criteria supporting the institutional evaluation and development of ’Creative technicums’ was created as one of the elements of the programme: a self-evaluation tool that offers a new approach and perspective for the creative development of the institutions and their courses. The developed assessment criteria system provides assistance for the self-definition of technicums that consider themselves creative, so they can evaluate their creativity and their role in creativity development, and assess the development of their operation and daily practice in this field.

With the help of a complex set of criteria developed by the MOME, a mapping exercise was conducted to identify the strengths and challenges of VET institutions in the development of creativity. Based on the analysis, the institutions participating in the programme developed a medium-term 3-year action plan to carry out the necessary improvements to meet better the requirements of the creative technicum, which is also included in their name.

During the programme, the MOME compiled a so-called ‘Design rafting' package as a pilot, which was applied in a 5-day workshop for teachers. The aim of the workshop was to support the teachers of creative technicums, to introduce the methodology and tools of design thinking, and to adapt it into practice.

The 11 VET institutions that participated in this project contributed to the innovation of VET in Hungary, to the wider introduction and development of educational methods based on creative learning and design thinking. This development can be used not only for technicums teaching creative industry professions, but other technicums can also adopt relevant pedagogical elements, since creativity plays an important role in all areas of life.

The institutions could publicly communicate their participation in the project, use the project logo and the ‘creative technicum’ title in recognition of participation in the project.

Read more

• Projektleírás [Creative technicums project description]
• Facebook bejegyzés – Nemrégiben a MOME adott otthont, az Oktatási Intézmények Támogatása A Kreativitás Fejlesztésében projekt közös felkészülési programjának, bevonva a Kreatív Technikumok vezetőit a munkafolyamatokba. [Facebook post – MOME recently hosted the joint preparation programme of Support for Educational Institutions in the Development of Creativity project, involving the leaders of Creative Technicums in the work processes.]
• Kreativitás-Fejlesztő projekt indult a SZÁMALK-Szalézi Technikum és Szakgimnáziumban [Creativity development project started at SZÁMALK-Sáléz technical and vocational high school]
• Kreativitás-fejlesztő projekt indult a Székesfehérvári SZC Árpád Technikum, Szakképző Iskola és Kollégiumban [A creativity development project was launched at SZC Árpád Technicum, Vocational School and College in Székesfehérvár]