W.R.I.T.E: Work, Research and Innovation for the Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs

Project n. 2015-1-IT03-KA205-005764

Erasmus + KA2: Strategic Partnerships for youth

INTELLECTUAL OUTPUT 1 – Study and analysis

REPORT ABOUT THE EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING

AND THE ACCESS INTO THE LABOUR MARKET:

SKILLS POSSESSED BY THE YOUNG NEETS

1

Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 2

2. Main regional statistical analysis of the early school leaving.............................................................. 3

3. Targets and methodology of the study ............................................................................................... 6

4. Results ................................................................................................................................................. 7

4.1 General information about respondents ...................................................................................... 7

4.2 The experience at school (Sections 1 and 3) ................................................................................. 8

4.3 The education at school (Section 2) ............................................................................................ 15

4.4 Working experience (Section 4) .................................................................................................. 18

4.5 Skills: educational and extra-educational (Section 5) ................................................................. 20

5. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 24

2

1. Introduction

The presented data report is a result of research work conducted within the project W.R.I.T.E: Work, Research and Innovation for the Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs (ERASMUS+ KA2: Strategic Partnerships for youth, 2015-1-IT03-KA205-005764, Intellectual output 1: Study and analysis). The report was compiled by EDUcentrum o.s. (Czech Republic, www.educentrum-os.cz) and it is based on answers collected from 208 Czech respondents aged 13 – 21 years. The main objective of the research was to identify the target group´s needs and requirements in order to facilitate the entry of young people to the labour market. The questions were related to different areas such as: notion of self, sense of school attending and general relationship with schools, relationship with classmates, relationship with teachers, relationship with new technologies for learning, relationship with working life: personal targets and strategies. The report comprises the main regional statistical analysis on the early school leaving in the Czech Republic, targets and methodology of the study, results analysis and conclusion which evaluates the main survey results.

3

17,2

0,4

33

6,8

20,3

4,1

12,5

0,5

5,3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Level of eduction in the Czech Republic in 2011 (% of the total population)

2. Main regional statistical analysis of the early school leaving

Structure of the Czech Republic according to Education

The chart below demonstrates

the education structure of the

Czech society according to the

2011 census. For 17.4 % of the

population, the highest achieved

education is the primary

education. Approximately 60 % of

the population has at least any

form of secondary education.

12.5 % of the population

completed university education.

No education (0.5 %) expresses

the number of people older than

15 years who did not completed

the first stage of the primary

education (grades 1-5). The

group of the people with the primary education as their highest qualification includes predominantly

students participating in the secondary education and people over 60 years of age. For instance, 25 %

of the people with primary education only form women over 65 years of age. To illustrate the matter

further, the age group of 25-29 presents roughly only 3.2 % of all the people with the primary

education as their highest qualification.1

Education system in the Czech Republic

The education system in the Czech Republic may be divided into three levels: primary, secondary,

tertiary. The primary education is divided into the first and second stage (grades 1-5 and 6-9). There

is a wide variety of secondary school types: grammar school (general education), secondary technical

schools, vocational schools and others. There are three types of grammar schools (4, 6 and 8 years),

which enable gradual transition of students from primary to secondary schools from various grades.

Typically, the secondary education is concluded by graduation Maturita exam. Maturia is a basic

prerequisite for entering the tertiary education. Apart of Maturita, the secondary education – mostly

the vocational schools programmes - can be completed by a certificate of apprenticeship which,

however, does not allow the holder to apply for university education. On the tertiary level, apart

from the standard private and public universities, the Czech educational system includes also Tertiary

technical schools (ISCED 5B) similar to Colleges in Anglo-Saxon countries.

1 Úroveň vzdělání obyvatelstva podle výsledků sčítání lidu, Český statistický úřad, 2014, p. 14 (available at:

https://www.czso.cz/documents/10180/20536250/17023214.pdf/7545a15a-8565-458b-b4e3-e8bf43255b12?version=1.1)

4

Drop-out in the Czech Republic: data

The rate of the early school leavers in the Czech Republic remained approximately constant between

the years 2008 and 2013 at 5.5 % (share of the population aged 18 to 24 with at most lower

secondary education and not in further education or training).2 With this rate, the Czech Republic

belonged to the group of six European countries with the lowest drop-out rate.3 The Eurostat data

show that the rate of drop-out in the Czech Republic is evenly distributed with the exception of

Ustecky Region which has a higher rate (above 8 %).4 In addition, the Eurostat data show that in

2011, the Czech Republic belonged to the group of European countries with the lowest ratio of the

NEETs aged 18-24 (lower than 12 %).5 A more detailed view on the data shows a slight increase in the

rate of drop-out in the Czech Republic between 2008 and 2014. In Ustecky Region, Central

Bohemian, Zlin, Olomouc and Moravian Silesian regions the drop out level slightly decreased. In the

remaining regions the rate slightly increased. However, the changes remain rather low.6

In 2014, the following Czech Regions witnessed a drop out level lower than 5 %: Prague, Central

Bohemian Region, Vysocina Region, Southern Moravia Region, Olomouc Region and the Zlin Region.

The remaining regions of the Czech Republic had a drop-out rate higher than 5 %. The worst situation

remained in the Ustecky Region, which is the only one surpassing the 10 % level of the drop-out rate.

Prague, with the 2.5 % drop-out rate, was in 2014 one of the two European NUTs regions with the

lowest drop-out rate. The rate is generally lower in urban areas than in the rural areas. 7

In contrast to all European countries apart of Bulgaria, in the Czech Republic men are more likely to

remain in education than women. Similarly to the other European countries, there is higher risk of

drop-out among the immigrants and the minorities (15 % in 2009) in the Czech Republic. In the case

of the Czech Republic, this relates first and foremost to the Roma minority (39 %).8

2 Eurostat: Early school leavers from education and training (available at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-

explained/index.php/File:Early_leavers_from_education_and_training,_by_country_Fig_3.PNG) 3 http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Europe_2020_indicators_-_education

4 Eurostat: Early leavers from education and training (available at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-

explained/images/b/bd/Early_leavers_from_education_and_training%2C_by_NUTS-2_regions%2C_2013_Map_1.PNG) 5 Eurostat: Share of population neither in education nor in training (available at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-

explained/index.php/File:QoL-Share_of_population_aged_18-24_neither_in_employment_nor_in_education,_2011_%281%29.png) 6 Eurostat: Change in proportion of early leavers from education and training 2008-2014 (available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Change_in_proportion_of_early_leavers_from_education_and_training,_by_NUTS_level_2_region,_2008%E2%80%9314_%28%C2%B9%29_%28percentage_points_difference_between_2014_and_2008%29_RYB15.png) 7 Eurostat: Early leavers from education and training (available at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-

explained/index.php/Education_statistics_at_regional_level) 8 Tillner, J., Zpráva o předčasných odchodech ze vzdělávání: Přehled opatření a příklady dobrých praxí ze zahraničí a v ČR,

NUV, Praha, 2013, p. 36-37.

5

Drop-out in the Czech Republic: interpretation

The Czech Republic has a long tradition of secondary education and the vast majority of the society

perceives secondary education as the minimal level of education that a person should acquire.9 The

statistics show that 92 % of the population aged between 25 – 64 years have secondary education.10

In addition, according to Tillner (2013), the relatively low rate of drop-out is a result of a system of

diverse educational opportunities for the students. As a result, for the students who are not satisfied

with their choice or for whom the selected study programme is too difficult, it is relatively easy for

the students to change the school or the subject of study. In addition, the students of both technical

and vocational secondary schools can study programmes concluded by Maturita exam, which means

that they may continue their studies at the university level the same as students of grammar schools.

Moreover, the Czech Republic faces a long lasting lack of skilled workers especially at technical

professions. In some cases, there are special scholarship motivation programmes for the students to

participate in the relating study programmes. The negative aspects of the Czech system include

unclear legislation and the relatively low age at which the students must make a choice about their

secondary education programme.11 The most common factors in decision to leave or change

education include (according to frequency established by a research carried out by NUV): poor

performance and marks (25 %), finances, long-term health problems, relations with teachers, taking

care of a close person, relations with school peers, long-distance commuting, too much to learn,

relations between parents, moving to another location (6 %).12 The students are most likely to leave

or change during the first or last year of the school study programme (in the secondary education

typically 4 years study programmes).13

Drop-out in the Czech Republic: resources

There is a number of publications that focus on the phenomenon of drop-out in the Czech Republic.

Among the most useful, we may include:

“Causes of early school leaving from secondary education in the cases of students with socially and culturally disadvantaged backgrounds” - Vacek, J., et al., Příčiny předčasných odchodů ze středního školního vzdělávání u žáků ze socio-kulturně znevýhodněných prostředí, Centrum adiktologie, Praha, 2008

„Report on early school leaving: an overview of best practice from the Czech Republic and abroad“ – Tillner, J., Zpráva o předčasných odchodech ze vzdělávání: Přehled opatření a příklady dobrých praxí ze zahraničí a v ČR, NUV, Praha, 2013

“Early school leaving from secondary education: Comments of teachers and employment office workers” – Trhlíková, J., Předčasné odchody žáků ze středních škol: Názory pracovníků škol a úřadů práce na nástroje prevence a intervence, NUV, Praha, 2013

9 Ibid, p. 29.

10 Education at a glance, MSMT 2013, p. 36. (available at: http://www.msmt.cz/vzdelavani/skolstvi-v-cr/statistika-

skolstvi/publikace-education-at-a-glance) (28.11.2015). 11

Tillner, J., Zpráva o předčasných odchodech ze vzdělávání: Přehled opatření a příklady dobrých praxí ze zahraničí a v ČR, NUV, Praha, 2013, p. 32. 12

Ibid, p. 39. 13

Ibid, p. 41.

6

3. Targets and methodology of the study Target group: The overall number of the respondents was 208 youth aged 13 – 21 years. The average age of the respondents was 16 years. The majority of respondents are currently attending a high school institute. The respondents were equally distributed according to the size of the place of their living. Half of them are living in a village, half of them in a bigger town. Almost all of the respondents are still in formal education, only 2 of them are employed, 3 of them are unemployed. Methodology of the survey: The survey was prepared both in online as well as paper form. The majority of respondents preferred an online form and if requested a personal help by the project team member has been provided. The survey sample has been selected to present a representative sample in terms of age distribution and place of living. Length of the inquiry time: The survey was launched at the beginning of November 2015 and the answers were collected in a period of three weeks.

7

4. Results

4.1 General information about respondents

208 respondents took part in the survey. Sex Among the respondents there were 126 females and 82 males. Age The average age of the respondents was 16 year. The youngest respondents was 13 years old, the oldest one was 21 years old.

Achieved qualification

The majority of respondents were currently studying a high school institute.

0

5

10

15

20

25

Age

25

158

15 4 3 3

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Primaryschool (up to

14 years)

High school -Gymnasium

(up to 18years)

Vocationalschool (up to

18 years)

University Employed Unemployed

Undergoing status/qualification

8

Place of living The respondents were equally distributed according to the size of the place of their living. Half of them were living in a village, half of them in a bigger town. Educational situation Almost all of the respondents were still in formal education. Only 2 of them were employed.

4.2 The experience at school (Sections 1 and 3) Section 1 Are you happy with your school choice?

Half of the respondents were fully satisfied with their school choice and more than two fifths of them were quite satisfied. Only 4.3 % of respondents were not happy with their school choice. Did someone advise you in your educational choice? Among 44.1 % of the respondents who were advised in their educational choice – 78 % of them were advised by their parents or family members, 12 % of them were advised by their friends and 10 % by their teachers.

55,9%

44,1%

Did someone advise you in your educational choice?

yes

no

51,6% 42,5%

4,3% 1,6%

Are you happy with your school choice?

yes

quite

no

I don´t study

9

When you started with higher institute, did you have trouble in studying?

Among those respondents who had problems when they started studying a higher institute were those having problems particularly in Mathematics, Foreign languages, Biology, Chemistry and History.

How much time do you spend in studying every day? Almost half of the respondents spend 1 to 3 hours by studying every day. A little less respondents spend less than 1 hours by studying.

35,5%

64,5%

When you started with higher institute, did you have trouble in studying?

yes

no

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Mathematics

Czech language

Foreign languages

History

Physics

Chemistry

Geography

Civics

Biology

Specialised subjects

Problems in particulat subjects

43,5%

48,9%

7,5% How much time do you spend in studying every day?

less than 1 hourfrom 1 to 3 hoursmore than 3 hours

10

In your opinion, why do people attend school?

The majority of respondents (82.8 %) consider school being important to find a job easier. Two fifths of respondents consider school important to receive a wider cultural learning and also because it´s compulsory. The respondents also stated other reasons such as: they attend school because they like spending time with their school mates, they can develop also other skills and competences and it will help them to get to the university. What made you mainly involved and/or stimulated/motivated during your educational experience? The respondents stated that they are motivated by following facts: better future regarding their prospective job, good assessment, interesting information and facts learnt at school and higher possibility to succeed when applying for the university. They are also motivated by satisfaction of parents and support of their school mates. What skills did you learn during your education?

Except for above listed skills the respondents also listed other skills such as: to plan and divide the workload, foreign language competence, improvisation, to express their own opinion, negotiation skills, self-presentation, theoretical knowledge, learning to learn competence, ability to make associations and deduct, creativity, responsibility.

82,8%

42,5% 39,8%

18,8%

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

90,0%

To find a jobeasier

To receive a widercultural learning

Because it’s compulsory

Because I like it

In your opinion, why do people attend school?

technical manualinformationtechnology

writingskills

problem-solvingskills

team work adaptabilityorganizatio

nal skills

Percentage 22,0% 8,1% 34,4% 59,1% 54,3% 45,7% 63,4% 41,4%

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

What skills did you learn during your education?

11

Do teachers encourage you to express your point of view in your class?

Half of the respondents is encouraged from time to time to express their point of view in their class. Almost a quarter of them were rarely encouraged to express their opinions. You learn/ learned better:

72.6 % of the respondents find helpful if they can listen to the speaking teacher. Half of the respondents use textbooks or pictures to learn better. Almost two fifths of the respondents use information systems to learn better.

14,5%

50,0%

23,1%

12,4%

Do teachers encourage you to express your point of view in your class?

yes

from time to time

rarely

no

if youlisten/listened to thespeakingteacher

textbookor otherbooks

pictures(slides,photos,

etc.)

interactivemultimedia board

posters recorder videos

information systems

(onlineplatform,tablets,

pc, apps)

Percentage 72,6% 55,4% 52,2% 16,1% 5,4% 6,5% 29,6% 39,8%

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

You learn/ learned better:

12

Section 3 Please list three things you like/liked in your school: Among the most often listed facts that the respondents like or liked at school were: friendly relationships at school with school mates, friendly and inspiring teachers, opportunity to share ideas and have discussions, some of the subjects, methods of teaching, comfortable environment and modern facilities, extra-curricular activities, use of modern technologies, breaks and food etc. Please list three things you don’t like/didn’t like in your school: Among the most often listed facts that the respondents like or don´t like or didn´t like at school were: particular teachers who are not friendly or their teaching style is boring, particular school mates who are not friendly, particular subjects, traditional teaching methods that are based only on theoretical knowledge and learning by heart, listening to the teachers without the possibility to discuss during the teaching process, insufficient level of competences or knowledge of particular teachers, out of dated information, non-cooperative team of teachers, not being motivated by teachers etc.

In your institute, is/was it possible to share your experiences and/or interests with your

classmates?

The prevalent opinion of the respondents concerning the possibility to share their experiences and/or interests with classmates is positive. At school you work/worked better:

Almost one third of respondents works better in a narrow group of mates. Almost one quarter of them works better with a favourite friends. Less than one fifth works better alone.

93,8%

6,2%

In your institute, is/was it possible to share your experiences and/or interests with your classmates?

yes

no

18,6%

23,6%

13,0%

29,2%

5,0%

10,6% At school you work/worked better: alone

with your favourite mate

with any of your mates

with a narrow group ofmates

with a large group ofmates

first alone, then in group

13

How are/were your relationships with your teachers?

Almost half of the respondents indicates their relationships with teachers being good. 36.6 % of respondents perceives the relationships as sufficient. Do you think you’re willing to dialogue with at least one of your teachers, in order to make you known not only as a student, but also as a person with your passions, your preferences?

Almost three quarters of respondents are willing to dialogue with at least one of the teachers at school. Would you like to participate to some “meetings” between students and teachers, in order to facilitate interpersonal relations?

More than three fifths of respondents would like to participate in meetings between students and teachers.

5,6%

36,6%

45,3%

12,4%

How are/were your relationships with your teachers?

insufficient

sufficient

good

excellent

72,0%

28,0%

Do you think you’re willing to dialogue with at least one of your teachers, in order to make you known not only as a student, but also as a person with

your passions, your preferences?

yes

no

65,2%

34,8%

Would you like to participate to some “meetings” between students and teachers, in order to facilitate interpersonal relations?

yes

no

14

You don’t understand the lesson: do you feel humiliated if you’ve to ask the teacher for further explanations?

More than three fifths of the respondents feel humiliated if they have to ask the teacher for further explanation. Is your family concerned with your school performance?

The prevailing majority of the respondents answered that their family is concerned with their school performance.

62,7%

37,3%

You don’t understand the lesson: do you feel humiliated if you’ve to ask the teacher for further explanations?

yes

no

93,2%

6,8%

Is your family concerned with your school performance?

yesno

15

4.3 The education at school (Section 2)

Did you ever use innovative technologies for your ordinary learning and educational activities? (online platform, tablets, pc, apps, interactive multimedia boards, etc.)

More than three fourths of the respondents use innovative technologies for their ordinary learning and educational activities. Among those who use these technologies, the most often listed ICT tools were: Internet, PC, mobile phone. Some of the respondents stated also the use of tablets. Among those who do not use the modern technologies 65 % of them would like to use them. In your opinion, what are the benefits their use would have produced on your learning? Some of the stated benefits of the use of modern technologies are: it makes learning more attractive, interesting and efficient, open and quick access to education, searching for information makes the process of learning quicker. Do you think the use of innovative technologies is important for school learning? More than three fifths of the respondents consider the use of innovative technologies to be important for school learning.

65,0%

35,0%

Do you think the use of innovative technologies is important for school learning?

yes

no

16

Did you ever use on-line learning modules?

More than three fifths of respondents have already used on-line learning modules. Do you know “gamification” learning method?

Almost all of the respondents don´t know the gamification learning method. How do you assess the introduction of new technologies in school (the state of the ICT tools use at their school)?

83.9 % of respondents consider the introduction of new technologies in schools as excellent, good or sufficient. Only 16.1 % of respondents are not satisfied with introduction of new technologies in their school.

34,4%

65,6%

Did you ever use on-line learning modules?

yes

no

2,2%

97,8%

Do you know “gamification” learning method?

yes

no

16,1%

35,0% 41,1%

7,8%

How do you assess the introduction of new technologies in school

insufficient

sufficient

good

excellent

17

Do/did some extra-educational activities took place in your institute?

Institutions of the 90.6 % of the respondents organise extra-educational activities for the students. Among the most often listed ones are: sport activities, language courses, ICT courses, art courses (music, dance, photography, drawing etc.), natural science courses etc. The extra-curricular activities help the respondents to devote their time to those areas that they are interested in. The can meet with their friends and have a break.

90,6%

9,4%

Do/did some extra-educational activities took place in your institute?

yes

no

18

4.4 Working experience (Section 4)

Do you already know what do you want to be when you grow up (to enter the labour market)? What does your work choice influence?

More than half of the respondents already know what they want to be when they enter the labour market. Two fifths of the respondents are not decided yet. This group consisted of respondents across all ages. The work choice is influenced in almost all cases by own interest of the respondents. An important factor is also the height of the salary. Some of the participants were also influenced by role models in family, by friends or teachers. Did your institute have a relationship with any of following institutions?

Most of the respondents do not know about any relationship with outer institutions. Some of the respondents also stated that their institution cooperates with universities. In what domain would you like to work? Among the most often listed domains that the respondents would like to work in are: information technology & telecommunications, mechanics & engineering, medicine, pharmaceutics, pedagogy, physiotherapy, building industry, psychology and tourism.

56,6%

42,1%

1,3%

Do you already know what do you want to be when you grow up (to enter the labour market)?

yes

no

2,5% 0,0% 0,6% 11,3% 13,8%

81,1%

0,0%10,0%20,0%30,0%40,0%50,0%60,0%70,0%80,0%90,0%

Did your institute have a relationship with any of following institutions?

19

Did you have the opportunity to do some internships during your studies? If yes, what was your opinion, in what domain were you employed, what job did you perform?

Only 4.4 % of the respondents did have the opportunity to do an internship. In this group were mostly those respondents who participated in international students exchange within the former Lifelong Learning Programme, school partnership or ERASMUS+. In general only one respondent did a real internship in building industry, which gave him new experience and an overview about what kind of tasks an employee in this domain performs. Did you have some work experiences aside from internship?

More than two fifths of the respondents did have some work experiences aside from an internship. In most

cases it was either a seasonal job during the summer holiday or a casual job. Only few respondents perform

a regular job.

The working experience was mostly related to administrative jobs, shop assisting, manual support in

technology industry, help in restaurants or catch-up classes.

Are you subscribed to the employment office of your town? When did you subscribe? Why did you stop your employment? Only three respondents are currently subscribed to the employment office. They are long-term unemployed and they dropped out of a high school institute.

4,4%

95,6%

Did you have the opportunity to do some internships during your studies?

ano ne

44,7%

55,3%

Did you have some work experiences aside from internship?

ano

ne

20

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Word Excel Powerpoint Access Internet E-mail

What is your level of the following ICT skills?

None Basic Advanced Very advanced

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

English German French Spanish Russian

How would you assess your foreign language skills?

NoknowledgeA1

A2

B1

B2

C1

4.5 Skills: educational and extra-educational (Section 5)

The results of the survey show the level of skills as indicated by the respondents. The following charts demonstrate the results from the fields of ICT, foreign languages and communication skills. In the case of the knowledge about security and safety, most of the respondents were confused by the question because they are not employed. ICT skills: In the field of ICT, the data show that the respondents were very skilled with the use of Internet and E-mail. In addition, the level of skills among the respondents is also relatively high in the case word processors and presentation software such as PowerPoint. The lowest level of skills shows the more specific software such as Access.

Language skills: In the field of the foreign languages, we may observe the highest level of skills in the case of English, which corresponds to the fact that, in most cases, English is the first foreign language of the respondents. English is followed by German, which is one of the most frequently taught “second foreign languages”. English and German are followed by French and Spanish. In addition, the data demonstrate a lower level of knowledge of Russian among the younger generation.

21

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Speaking infront of

audience

Ability toformulate one'sown opinion in

a group

Leadershipskills

Formal phonecalls

Writtenbusiness

communication

How would you assess your communication skills?

I am not able to do it I am able to do it with limits I am able to do it

Communicational skills: In general, the respondents believe that they have rather high communication skills. The respondents are the most confident in the field of written business communication and ability to formulate their thoughts during a communication in a group. Relatively high percentage of the respondents also believe that they can, at least to some extent, conduct formal phone calls. On the other hand, the respondents assess their skills as rather limited in the case of speaking in front of an audience and leadership skills

during a conversation. What professional/technical skills do you manage? Among other professional/technical skills that the respondents manage have been stated: organizational skills, solving skills, ability to motivate others, skills related to use of communication and information technologies. Where did you learn your skills? The respondents’ answers indicate that they are aware that they learn at school as well as outside of the school context. Only 5.9 % of the respondents believe that they learn their skills only at school. On the other hand, more than twice as much respondents (13.2 %) stated that they learned their skills outside of school.

5,9%

13,2%

80,9%

Where did you learn your skills?

at school

outside of school

both at school andoutside

22

57,5

42,5

Can you create your own CV?

Yes

No

39,5%

60,5%

Is in your hometown enough working opportunities in the field which you study?

Yes No

Are you able to structure a CV? If yes, would you be able to introduce it on a job interview? How? The data show that more than a half of the respondents believe they can structure their CV. However, some of the respondents express concerns that given their age they would not have experience or education to include in the CV. In contrast to the previous data, the respondents are not confident that they would be able to present their CV and themselves during an interview. Very often, they view CV as a written tool which does not require any presentation in person. Only approximately 1,5 % of the respondents (3 persons) stated that they already have experience with writing and presenting CV when looking for summer part time jobs.

Do you think in your territory there are few job opportunities in your favourite area/sector? The data show that the majority of the 60.5 % of the respondents share the opinion that there is not enough working opportunities in their field in their home area. This results is determined by the fact that half of the respondents come from smaller villages.

Would you intend to work independently, by launching an independent business? Do you already have a business idea to achieve? If yes, in what domain/sector? Can you describe it?

48,0%

52,0%

Would you like to work independently e.g. set up your own business?

yes

no

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0,0%10,0%20,0%30,0%40,0%50,0%60,0%70,0%80,0%

financial technological(technological

support)

practicalguidelines

(writteninstructions)

expert advice(expert

councelling)

None

What support would you appreciated during the transition from school to employment? (multiple choices available)

Out of the total, 48 % of the young people stated that they would like to work independently by setting up their own business. Out of these, 31.5 % indicated that they already have an idea or field in which they would like to start their own business. The business ideas and fields provided by the respondents included: ICT and related computer services, travelling and tourism, healthcare and related services, law or tax counselling, foreign languages, design and veterinary services. What supports do you think you need to enter the labour market? Most of the respondents believe that they could use at least some kind of support when entering the labour market. Most of the respondents stated that they would appreciate financial support and know-how by means of e.g. expert counselling or mentoring. The percentage of respondents indicating interest in written manuals and technology was significantly lower.

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5. Conclusion The conducted research revealed a lot of interesting findings related to the youth needs, level of their skills and competences, relationship to the school in general, to school mates and teachers and their professional orientation. Evaluation of the skills possessed by the youth aged between 12 and 21 years More than half of the respondents stated that formal education helped them to increase their adaptability, they also consider their writing skills, problem solving skills, team work and organizational skills at an advanced level. On the other hand formal education helped only one third of respondents to develop their skills in IT, one fifth improved their technical skills (mainly respondents studying in vocational institutes). Only an insignificant number of respondents learnt manual skills at school. Regarding ICT skills the respondents were very skilled with the use of Internet and E-mail. In addition, the level of skills among the respondents is also relatively high in the case word processors and presentation software such as PowerPoint. The lowest level of skills shows the more specific software such as Access. In the field of foreign languages most of the respondents learnt English as their first foreign language. Cca 27 % of them considers their level being B1, 25 % of them evaluated themselves at B2 level. The knowledge of other foreign languages is considerably lower. In general, the respondents believe that they have rather high communication skills. They are the most confident in the field of written business communication and ability to formulate their own opinion in a group. On the other hand they are not so confident in speaking in front of an audience have a rather low ability to lead a group.

Motivations of the early school leaving The early school leaving phenomenon in the Czech Republic is very low comparing to other countries. The Czech Republic belongs to the group of six European countries with the lowest drop-out rate. Among the respondents only 3 individuals experienced dropped out of formal education and are currently long-term unemployed. The reasons for that were lack of motivation in learning and resulting underperformance in results. Even though some of the respondents encounter difficulties in particular subjects, they continue in formal education process. How to try in order to decrease the early school leaving rates The key factors that help to young people to decrease the early school leaving rates in general are to provide diverse educational opportunities. In the Czech Republic, for the students who are not satisfied with their choice or for whom the selected study programme is too difficult, it is relatively easy for the students to change the school or the subject of study. In addition, the respondents of the survey stated that they are motivated to be actively engaged in the learning process by following variables: good relations with school mates and teachers. This fact is in accordance with the research carried out by the NUV (National Institute for Education, Czech Republic). The research results show that only less than a fifth of respondents prefer to work alone, the majority of them are more engaged if they work in a group or with their mate. Only 5.6 % of respondents have an insufficient relationship with teachers, most of them have a good or sufficient relationship and more than three quarters are willing to share their passions and concerns with their teachers. Besides, 93.2 % of respondents feel the interest of their family in their school performance and their educational choice is mostly influenced by friends, parents or teachers.

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Surprisingly, more than two fifths of respondents do not know what they want to do when they finish their formal studies. Moreover half of these respondents are at the end of their high school studies. Even though the prevalence of them had the opportunity to perform some casual or seasonal jobs, it did not help them in their career choice. As a result of these findings it might be assumed that a career counselling and guidance could help young people to be more aware about their future opportunities and prevent early school leaving. How to improve the learning mood and the success opportunities The results of the survey suggest several ways to improve the atmosphere at schools, improve the efficiency, motivation and consequently the opportunities and success of young people. The first way to tackle this issue is to emphasise the links between education and better job opportunities, as the survey showed that most of the participants approach school as a tool to more and better job opportunities. This may be partly achieved among others also by better adapting the school curricula to the current needs of the labour market. The second area of improvement concerns the relations among students and teachers. About 50 % of the youth respondents found the relations with the teachers only sufficient or worse. In addition, the data demonstrated that the students would appreciate to participate “team-building” meetings with teachers that would foster interpersonal relations and consequently motivation to learn. The third perspective involves a prevalence of certain negative attitudes that damage the process of learning. The improvement of the learning mood could be thus fostered also e.g. by reducing the fear of a mistake and understanding “asking for help” as a demonstration of failure. The fourth and last way to improve the success opportunities by fostering the learning mood is the use of modern and attractive methods of teaching of subjects that most students find problematic: sciences, mathematics and foreign languages. As a result, it is necessary to work with teacher on the development of both their didactic and counselling skills. How to use the new multimedia technologies in order to improve the learning process Approximately two thirds of the respondents stated that they use innovative ICT technologies in learning. Roughly the same share admits that the use of innovative ICT tools is useful and important. Generally, the participants perceive the use of ICT tools in their schools as average. However, they do not know the concept of gamification. The survey shows that the participants are used to using ICT tools as a gate to information. However, they do not use them as a learning tool as such. The way to improve the learning process in this respect may consist in improving youth “information literacy” by showing them how to work with the ICT tools and information more efficiently. In addition, this particular aspect may be improved also by developing teachers’ skills to “information literacy”. How to orient/reorient youth in the labour market and/or in the proceeding of studies The survey suggest several potential ways to reorient youth in the labour market or in the proceeding of their studies. The first option roots in the education system as such. Youth may be motivated to adopt education paths more suitable for the labour market by making respective subjects more attractive either by the use of modern methodologies, ICT tools or by fostering better relations within the student and teacher community. The most obvious and efficient tool to influence the choice of the education and career path is to provide qualified counselling service, which in the Czech school contexts functions rather only pro forma. Over 40 % of the respondents do not have a clear idea of what they want to become in the future. The second way to achieve this goal suggested by the survey data is to offer the youth in education more of first-hand experience with the working reality in the fields of their study. Most of the early working experience of the youth consists of part time jobs independent of the school. School organised internships are available only for a fraction of the survey respondents. 81 % of the respondents stated that they do not know if their school cooperates with other organisations such as

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private companies or employment offices. It is thus necessary to encourage cross-sector cooperation between the schools and private sector and to promote it among the students.