Benefits of Vocational Skills Competitions
статья на тему

Benefits of Vocational Skills Competitions

written by Arkhitektorova A.A.

This article is devoted to the importance of taking part in International Vocational Skills Competitions. It’s a new opening to motivate students and teachers, proving a great value of Vocational education.

Key words: vocational skills competitions, challenge, professional competence, benefits, motivation to study.

Vocational Skills Competitions have become established as a form of supporting and developing vocational education. The purpose is to promote professional competence and appreciation for it taking part in vocational skills competitions.

The impact of vocational skills competitions is based on persistent, target-oriented work. The competition system offers tools for genuine and concrete collaboration between diverse parties. Competitions can be used in many different ways, also to solve new challenges and to motivate for study.

Vocational skills competitions benefit all the participants:

• Competitors,
• Vocational education organizers,
• Teachers,
• Workplace supervisors,
• Employers.

For competitors, preparing for and entering the competitions, it means an opportunity to develop into a top expert in the field. In addition to their professional skills demonstrating in competitions they improve:

1. their social skills,
2. ability to make independent decisions,
3. self-confidence,
4. motivation for further study and self-development,
5. healthy professional pride
6. in the case of international contest, language skills.

The organizers of vocational education can use competition activities to

1. improve the competence and professional abilities of their staff according to the new achievements in the sphere education,
2. compare the level of their competence both nationally and internationally,
3. promote mutual learning through networking between teachers and workplace supervisors
4. improve their reputation as first-rate educational institutions and employers.

For employers, it is an opportunity

1. to compare the quality of their work,
2. to promote practical innovations in vocational skills,
3. to prove the commitment to top-level vocational education and personnel development,
4. to improve their visibility and therefore demand for the products and services,
5. to facilitate the recruitment of top experts.

     For teachers, it is the best way

1. to know how matters stand with education in other schools, colleges, etc.,
2. to show a high level of the students who take part in competitions,  
3. to show a great aspiration for their own professional growth and personal development,
4. to renew and improve the way of teaching.

      In conclusion, all of these benefits play a great role in a formation of a competent, competitive and skilled worker, whose knowledge is called for employers. Every participant of the competition gets what he needs exactly, but in achieving one common goal: to find a talent student and create an international expert in the field.

Agreeably to realize that Russian students have begun their first steps in taking part in European competitions.  This new experience will beneficially exert  influence on the System of Vocational Education and motivate Russian students to get knowledge.

References:

1. S. Kaloinen, P. Pynnonen, H.Saarinen, Competitions for Everyone, HAMK University of Applied Sciences, 2010.
2. Taitaja 2014, Finnskills.