The first open information day on apprenticeship, organised by the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, was held on 25 October 2017 at the International Trade Fair SASO 2017. The information day was organised within the framework of European Vocational Skills Week as the attractiveness campaign activity from Erasmus+ KA3 Get Involved in EP4A: European Partnerships for Apprenticeship project.
Vocational education and training (VET) stakeholders, who participated at the event, especially present and future masters-vocational teachers, were welcomed by Ms Elida Marković, the President of Regional Chamber from the Split-Dalmatia County. The presentation on apprenticeship and the benefits of taking apprentices was held by Ms Mirela Lekić, MSc, the Deputy Secretary General and the Head of Department for Vocational Education and Human Resources Development. After the presentation, the panel discussion was organised, which included Mr Dragutin Ranogajec, the President of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, Mr Adriano Šafran from the Ministry of economy, entrepreneurship and crafts, and Ms Nansi Ivanišević, the Head of Department for Education, Culture, Sport, Informing and Technical Culture in the Split-Dalmatia County.
Mr Ranogajec emphasized the importance of apprenticeship as the key part of vocational education to ensure the quality labour force, while Mr Šafran presented current co-financing measures by the Ministry, especially through the project Apprenticeship for trades and crafts occupations. Ms Ivanišević pointed out especially the importance of partnership and communication between all VET stakeholders. Also, apprenticeship ambassadors, masters-vocational teachers with long term experience in working with apprentices, participated in the panel discussion, namely Mr Božo Dujmović, the owner of the craft “Merc&Dujmović” and Mr Nikša Ivičević, the owner of tavern “Bukara”. Mr Joško Tafra, the owner of hairdressing salon “Sananda”, demonstrated together with his apprentice the way how the master-vocational teacher transfers the knowledge and teaches the apprentice.
During the discussion, 4th grade students from Craft School Split, the beautician class, presented the face painting by the stage, under the guidance of vocational teacher and the owner of beautician salon “Suzana”. Also, the work of students from the same school was exhibited at the stage. During the event, special emphasis was given to the promotion of the help-desk line for apprenticeship, which is available at phone number +385 1 48 06 656 and e-mail address naukovanje@hok.hr, and Employers Guide to Apprenticeship, which was available for the first time in printed version at the event, as well as the additional leaflet with guidelines for licensing. Also, the prize winning was organised at the event, with the possibility to win the trip to the Study Visit to Munich during the International Crafts Fair in Munich in 2018 and one winner was chosen, who will have the chance to see how apprenticeship is conducted in Germany.
