Cooperation between schools and local bussiness – link between the

education and world of work

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Our school is a special educational institution where students with disabilities get qualification for

assistant occupations (assistant florist, baker, plumer…)spe

During education in our school the students learn practical skills mostly on the open labour market and the smaller part of them in the school workshops (assistant bookbinders)

1. Cooperation with employers in the open labour market

We cooperate with more than 100 places where our students have practical training. With many of them we cooperate for years, even decades.

These are various trades – carpentry, plumbing, painting… restaurants, kindergartens, bakeries, student homes, flower shops etc.

Cooperation between our school and local bussines

These places of practical training often offer jobs for our students because they know them, their abilities and capabilities, as well as difficulties and limitations.

At these workplaces employees are sensitized to work with people with disabilities and they feel accepted there.

The same situation is with employers who have employed someone of our former students.

Having a good experience with our students, employers contact us and ask if we can send them another one of our trained students.

Restaurant Vinodol, where we had lunch when we all met in Zagreb is one of these workplaces.

2. Cooperation with associations We cooperate with Association for inclusion

where some of our student are employed with support, but for a short time and symbolic fee.

About 5 years ago we have worked closely with the firm Kuehne Nagel where our students worked on gluing the declarations and were paid through the student contract.

3. Cooperation with various associations and workshops for student who can not be

employed with the aim of social inclusion

4. Student cooperative in our school is extremly active and participates on a various number of social events in the city of Zagreb. Sales exhibitions are frequent in homes for elderly and infirm people, regular secondary schools, shopping malls etc.

Through the activities of the cooperative students learn about entrepreneurship and make their social and comunication skills better.

All the money they earn by selling their products, cooperative spends on material neede for the work and the departure of joint field trip in May.

5. Cooperation with the local church This year our students will make sticks for St.

Nicholas for the Church of St. Marko Križevčanin.

The goal is to find the REAL and PAID job for our students, as well as for all people with disabilities.

What is needed to take into account for achieving that goal:

1. the attitudes of employers – prejudices and stigmatization

2. support of the family 3. economic situation in the country 4. Socio-economic policy

In the Republic of Croatia is about 12% of persons with disabilities. It is still a very large number of unemployed and most of them are among the persons with intellectual disabilities.

Practical learning in a real work environment, what we have in our school, is a great advantage for our students because they easily adjust to the work of work and become active members of society.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.