LABORESO (LABOUR IN COMPULSORY SECONDARY EDUCATION)

Good practice carried out by Pedro Rodríguez & Ana Belén Blanco Ferrero (Cantabria, Spain).

Annotation:

http://laboresocantabria.es/inicio

https://www.educantabria.es/orientacion-en-educacion-secundaria/labor-eso.html

Description structure:

LaborESO is a voluntary program made for educational centers and students. This experience implies an early approach of Compulsory Secondary Education students’ to the labour market so students stay in a company for two weeks, which not only gives them a better self-knowledge, skills, capacity and interests but also the acquisition of a better understanding of the labour situation having a direct contact with it.

Thus, this experience facilitates the decision making process that students have to do when they finish Compulsory Secondary Education in relation to their professional and academic future. Likewise, it contributes to promote the entrepreneurship through the knowledge of the business world.

It is addressed to students in the second cycle of Compulsory Secondary Education (14-16 years old) and in Transition to Adult Life Programs within Special Education Centres.

LaborESO is included in the Annual Plan of Activities of the Guidance Department, being often the guidance practitioner the Program Coordinator in the school. It can also be included in professional initiation subjects, more specifically in the Applied Scholastic Option, but each school centre can decide where it should be included, and develop it in different modalities.

Moreover, the schools can take part in any or several modalities: Learning & Result Improvement Program, Adult Life Transition Project and Programs.

Once the school centre shows its interested in participating, the procedure is as follows:

• SCHOOL CENTER COORDINATORS’ MEETING: To inform them about the procedure and give them the Student Handbook, so they can prepare their students in this program.
  
  
• PARENTS’/ TUTORS’ MEETING: The program is explained and an authorization document is given to the parents/tutors. Afterwards, the Regional Education Government is informed about the students who have been authorised.
  
  
• Inform the Trade Chamber about the dates to carry out the experience so the Chamber confirms them.
  
  
• WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS IN THE EDUCATIONAL CENTRE: The Student Handbook has to be done, individual guidance has to be provided to the students and the sheet of job preferences has to be completed, including the companies with which the students want to contact.
  
  
• COMPANY SEARCH: The Trade Chamber will contact the companies to check their availability to participate in the project.
  
  
• BEFORE THE EXPERIENCE: After sending the availability confirmation by the company, the school centre will agree an appointment to introduce the student in order to set the schedule and the tasks to be done. Furthermore, the company tutor will be assigned, the agreement will be signed between the company and the educational centre, and all the information about the students and the companies will be sent to the Directorate General of Labour in the Regional Department of Education.
  
  
• DURING THE EXPERIENCE: During the stay in the company, the student will do the agreed tasks. The educational centre will have to gather information about the experience and will schedule a visit to the company in the middle of the experience. The company will complete an assessment of the student and send it to the school centre.
  
  
• AFTER THE EXPERIENCE: The students will finish their handbooks and will do an evaluation of the experience and other tasks proposed by the school centre (presentations, videos, CV, blogs, etc). The educational centre will be in charge of the coordinator’s assessment and a final report.
  
  
• END OF THE PROJECT: The Trade Chamber will issue a certificate to the students and an activity report and economic report to the Regional Department of Education.
  
  
• Moreover, the Trade Chamber will be in charge of the general coordination with the educational centres, the posting on the blog LaborEso, the preparation of the Info Day “Atrévete a cambiar” and the dissemination of the program.

Type:

Apprenticeship.

Goal:

• Career choice
• Career education.
• Career Management skills.
• Support transitions (school/VET; school/labour market; one job to another job)

Priorities addressed:

- Encourage the lifelong acquisition of career management skills.

- Encourage coordination and cooperation among the various regional and local stakeholders.

Stakeholders:

Trade Chamber (Cámara de Comercio), Educational centres, companies and Regional Department of Education, Tourism and VET.

Target-groups:

Students:

- Secondary School.

- VET

Context:

• Education.
• Employment

Results:

This program has been developed every year for 15 years, with an increasing number of students participating. In the current edition, there are 851 participants from 69 public and semi-public school centres.

Transferability:

National and International.

European Dimension:

Transferable among countries.