Profile of VET organisation

Name of organization: Secondary Business School, České Budějovice, Husova 9

Country: Czech Republic

e-mail[email protected]

 

Type of VET institute: Upper Secondary vocational education and training

Good practice title

Welcome to us

Baseline / problem

Among other, our school offers to candidates for study the branch of study 65-42-M/02 - Tourism (daily educational programmes for four years).

Graduates who completed the programme Tourism are ready to do jobs in the field of tourism as employees of travel offices or agencies, tourist information centre clerks, tourist guides, travel agency delegates and a number of other jobs in hotel, transport, spa and congress services. The programme is completed with school leaving examination. The graduates have secondary general and professional level of education. The education programme methods are based on latest technological means.

We felt the need to improve expert and communication skills of our pupils in this branch of study. Other requirements included deepening of pupils´ knowledge of their region, possibility to compare their knowledge and skills on both national and international level, to establish close cooperation with educational facilities that teach the same subjects, sharing experience among teachers of individual schools. The same important problem that we felt to be addressed was the need to support regional tourism in the South Bohemian region. This is why we decided to organise an international contest called “Welcome to us”.

The content´s objectives include:

  • Support and promotion of regional tourism and cultural heritage
  • Deepening and comparison of expert, communication and presentation skills of pupils of secondary schools focused on the field of tourism, hotel and gastronomy facility management
  • Establishing cooperation with teachers of our schools with educational staff of school teaching the same subjects in the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Austria
  • Active use of information and communication skills
  • Improving English communication skills with emphasis on professional terminology and communication in foreign language
  • Learning about life, traditions, culture and monuments in other regions with regard to sustainable tourism
  • Improvement of professional knowledge in the field of geography and tourism
  • More emphasis on the support and promotion of regional tourism and cultural heritage of a given country
  • Team work development.

Good practice: (Measures, instruments, criteria, indicators)

It is a team activity the size of which ranks among biggest contests of this type in the Czech Republic. It is unique in the South Bohemian region. It has an exceptional position in the promotion of regional tourism. Audience and jury members could see 125 presentations in eleven contest categories.

Team of tourism, hotel and gastronomy facility management pupils from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria take part in the contest. The contest is divided to two categories where the teams are supposed to present their professional knowledge, presentation skills and communication skills in foreign language. The pupils are assigned a contest task and they have to fulfil the task in two days. This year, for instance, they had to plan a trip following traces of Charles IV in the first day. In the second day, they have to show their presentation on the topic “Come to us to enjoy sport”. The day three is reserved for accompanying activities of the contest associated with the presentation topics and puts emphasis on South Bohemian sights. Among other, it included visit to the rotary theatre stage and the city of Český Krumlov, “Olympic Park Rio-Lipno 2016” and other attractive sites.

Participating in the contest, pupil develop the following knowledge and skills:

 

Art of presentation, use of information and communication skills

Catch the attention of the audience and expert jury is not easy. Even the bets topic and perfect powerpoint design will not suffice given your stage fever. Therefore, what you need to win is firm pose and relaxed way of speaking.

Language and communication competence

The spoken part of the contest tasks includes at least two minute presentation in a foreign (English/German) language. Good luck! Viel Glück!

Professional knowledge, terminology

However, the participants have to demonstrate professional knowledge in front of the jury. Be prepared to answer inquisitive questions concerning tourism, hotel and gastronomy facility management.

Leisure time activities

No one evaluates any more the visit of the rotary theatre stage and the city of Český Krumlov prepared by our pupils. It is a pleasant relaxation after the contest stress and participants become familiar with the beauty of the South Bohemian region.

For more information in Czech go to the school web site at www.sso.cz.

Problems and constraints encountered and solutions found:

We have not identified any major problems during the implementation. However, this event is very time consuming and it requires team work of all school employees and pupils. Moreover, one has to have good contacts to social partners and other schools that teach the same subjects. Emphasis is to be placed on good promotion and marketing. The size of this event ranks it among biggest contests of this type in the Czech Republic and this contest in completely unique in the South Bohemian region.

Good Practice Category