Description
Taster opportunities – giving young people the chance to try out different vocational areas before they choose a VET programme – help to tackle misconceptions around VET.
Countries
Why is this approach useful?
Misconceptions about VET programmes are an important risk factor leading to early leaving from education and training. Giving students the opportunity to observe and try out different vocational options before they choose a VET programme allows them to compare their expectations against the reality of a given VET programme or profession.
Activities to observe and try out different vocational areas should help VET providers reply to the question:
- Are our students choosing the best possible pathway?
Why is it a quick win?
There are different types of activities that allow students to better get to know the different vocational options available to them. Some activities can be directly implemented by VET providers at a relatively low cost. This would be the case with visits of secondary students to VET schools and companies; open days at VET schools for potential candidates; and short discovery workshops.
Other activities involve higher costs. An example would be the implementation of a vocational orientation programme lasting several weeks.
How to make this approach successful?
Useful tasting measures give young people the possibility to try out various options based on their interests and capacities. This involves:
- Discussions between pedagogical staff and learners about their interests and expectations.
- Coordination between the current education and training provider and the entities where the tasting activities will take place (VET schools and companies).
- Inviting inputs from existing students to give a student viewpoint.
The inclusion of some practical activities for the learner to try out different vocational areas, and not just observe, is particularly useful. Informal discussions with students already enrolled in VET programmes or apprenticeships are also important.