Eurydice research from 2016 showed that many of the Polish teachers lack skills to teach their subjects in a practical way. On the other hand, a report from the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) entitled “Job Market, Education, Competences – Current Trends and Research” showed that a global competence gap, or mismatch between prospective employees’ skills and the needs of employers, is growing. We wanted to fill that gap by engaging volunteers from 200 companies and various institutions to work with the youth.
Our actions were split into four modules designed for children and youth of different age groups. The first module, primary school students from grades 1-3 visited local companies to learn about them “from the inside.” During the second module, students from grades 4-6 visited local manufacturing companies to learn about technologies they use and the employees’ role in the process. They have also learned about companies’ relationship with the surrounding environment. During the third module, students from grades 7 and 8 learned more about details of several selected professions and were trained on how to begin planning their professional future.
As part of the final module, young people from junior high schools and high schools met with representatives of the local businesses and expanded their knowledge of entrepreneurship, including current opportunities on the job market. We have conducted several contests during the duration of the project to find the most active and involved schools and businesses and presented the winners during the Open Business Gala at the conclusion of the project. We have also awarded the most active volunteer, who was selected by students.
Our evaluation showed that the participants have increased their social competences – communication skills, cooperation, and problem solving. Additionally, they have become more open and sensitive towards the needs of their local environment.