Taitaja 2014

09.04.14

International Seminar at the Finnish National Skills competition:

Work based learning (WBL) as a sustainable practice in Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Lahti

Morning: Seminar

Afternoon: Skills competition - Taitaja

Over 50 countries participated in seminar. 9 speakers were speaking about vocational education, WBL, apprenticeship, their country's practice, ... The scale of the exhibition was enormous. It was organized by Salpaus Further Education.  It was the biggest exhibition I have ever seen. Students were eager to participate and win. It was also an advertising event for companies and colleges. I think everybody got their benefit: students, companies and vocational schools and of course me. I spent a splendid time their with my husband and group.

Over 300 students of VET participated in skills competition. Students competed in different areas: construction, repair work, cooking, landscape design, plumber's work, sewing, laboratory work, ICT, car repairing by hands and with autorobot equipments, construction with wood, ...

Some services were being done by VET students: hair modelling, massage, nail colouring, hands massage, 3D printer (names on plastic).

Companies were advertising their products, services at exhibition. There were big and small enterprises such as Wurth (hardware, car parts,cars), Kiitolinja (communication), Bosch (bicycle engine), ABB, ICT Academy, Lahden Seutu (horse industry), Salpaus (cars, tracks, tractors selling), Orfer (robotics), Teklab (Technology), Sew Eurodrive, Sick Sensow Intelligence,  Fazer (bread, chocolates), Sampo (kitchen equipment), Autorobot, Mirka (building construction), Metsa Wood (construction with wood - buildings), 

Kaeser Kompressorit, Tikkurila (repair work materials), Vex Robotics () Lahti Kotihoidon (emission free car selling company), ...
Things I liked the most:
- Finnish enthusiasm to develop VET
- second speaker who talked about WBL and professional skills in the European context
- Salpaus company's competition: 8 students doing all 8 different works connected to loading, unloading, shipping the cargo on various working machines in time
- bicycle exhibited by Bosch which goes with engine: electricity.

For more info: taitaja2014.com