CTE Trailers Dual School: The Second Year of Dual Education, Plenty of Opportunities

by admin | Dec 22, 2022 | Dual Vocational School

Recently, the two weeks of practice at CTE Trailers ended, weeks spent with the ninth graders from Pamfil Șeicaru High School in Ciorogârla. For them, this project represents the first contact with the CTE Trailers Dual Vocational School Program, but also the first contact with an organization that can offer them a job in the future. During the two weeks of practice, the young students not only had the opportunity to practice theoretical knowledge with their mentors, but also received information about the meaning and importance of work planning, work schedule, health and safety regulations at work, respect and care for colleagues, customers, equipment, goods, resources.

The CTE Trailers Dual Vocational School program was created to help pupils who want to learn a trade build a foundation of specific knowledge, experiences and values. The aim of the program is not only to provide young people with a stable job after completing their studies, but also to prepare them for their life after graduation. In this regard, we discussed with the pupils about the two weeks of internship, about what they liked and their plans for the future.

About their motivation to choose this internship program, one of the pupils confessed to us that he made this choice in order “to fulfill his dream of becoming a very good mechanic and to open his own garage.” During the training program, pupils have the opportunity to work alongside experienced mechanics, to learn all the tricks of the craft and work in a space where equality of opportunities is ensured.

Asked about their first day at CTE Trailers, Adrian and his colleagues told us that they found it “a bit weird” as they were not yet adjusted to the place and the people, but after a week they had adapted and worked very easily.

“The people at CTE greeted me with open arms, encouraged me to learn a beautiful and profitable profession!”

The pupils told us they enjoyed the opportunity of these two weeks of internship, as they have made the most out of the knowledge provided by the CTE Trailers mentors who have been at their side every step of the way and also that they want the program to be extended in the future. Students would like this program to run for a longer period, to allow them to become even more involved in the actual repair of vehicles.

Dual Vocational School at CTE Trailers is a project dear to our hearts. It began in the 2021-2022 school year with the objective to fill in the gaps, to complete the education of young Romanians, so that they have a real chance to develop beautifully. This discussion with students in practice proves to us once again that we are on the right track and motivates us to persevere.

Discover in the video material the motivations and experiences of the students participating in the practice program carried out within CTE Trailers:

My first employment contract – Dual School in the vision of the students from CTE Trailers

by admin | Oct 19, 2022 | Dual Vocational School

Education, with its bitter roots, but sweet fruits, is the basis for the development of a healthy and productive society.

The Dual Vocational School project at CTE Trailers is an idea born from the desire to fill a gap, to fill in what is lacking in formal education and to compensate for the difficulties that students face today. Our goal is to provide students with the material framework and support necessary for them to build the foundation of their professional experience and, at the same time, the values and self-confidence that will help them find the right jobs and achieve the success they deserve.

What kind of experience is The Dual School CTE Trailers?

CTE Trailers Dual School addresses all young graduates of 8 classes, high school students and those who are less than 23 years old, but also young people who have been assigned to a profile that is not to their liking. During the three years of study, students gradually evolve from learning theoretical notions to developing practical skills.

When it comes to the benefits of such a program, young people are aware of the differences between normal vocational school and dual-program school. Among the first advantages listed by them is the monthly scholarship offered to all participants, which increases annually in amount. Also among the first benefits mentioned by pupils are the opportunity to attend the courses of the driving school free of charge and the opportunity to work at CTE Trailers with modern state-of-the-art equipment. 

“At Dual School there are modules specific to the subject, such as mechanics, that is, we learn about machines, about each screw, about each component.” Robert tells us about the difference between the topics addressed by theory and those from the Dual School. “[We learn] from a textbook, but rather from a laptop. They show us the project in the hall and the rest are ordinary classes: chemistry, history, etc.“

The young people mention that they are very pleased with the way in which their mentors, the specialists of CTE Trailers, take the time to answer their questions and make sure that they understand, and also with the patience and attention with which they share the secrets of their craft.

The project was not put on halt even during the summer: we offered the students from the Dual Vocational School the opportunity to work during the summer holidays with an employment contract, according to the law (6-hour program, paid for 8 hours), together with the CTE Trailers professionals. 

There were 7 students from the CTE Trailers Dual Vocational School who wanted to work during the holidays, but we were pleasantly surprised to also receive job applications during the holidays from two 9th grade pupils of Dimitrie Bolintineanu High School (from the mechatronics class), as well as from a student who is preparing to become a chef,  but who is attracted to mechanics.

CTE Trailers accepted that all ten students would work for one or two months, depending on their wish. Three of the students abandoned the contract earlier, the reasons being, according to their colleagues, the orientation towards a career in other industries, such as construction, or going abroad. We believe that any experience is important for young people, as it allows them to compare and choose what is best for them.

What is next for the pupils?

After the end of the summer employment contracts, a new year of dual vocational school follows.

Among our “summer employees” we have gained several authentic promoters of the project and of the mechanic profession, who are trying to convince their colleagues and friends to join them in the CTE Trailers Dual School Program.

CTE Trailers Dual School: Robert’s Story

by admin | Oct 11, 2022 | Dual Vocational School

They say education is the golden gate of freedom and we, at CTE Trailers, want to open as many such gates as possible for Romanian pupils. The Dual School project started out of our desire to guide young people who want something more after graduating from high school: a stable job, an enviable career and a better future.

During the first year of Dual School I met many young people eager both to learn and to acquire skills which will be useful to them in real life. Based on the experience gained in the first year we have developed and improved the Dual School project in order to further support children interested in the program. Thus, in addition to a series of personal development courses focusing on topics of immediate interest to students, such as financial education, career development and their personal development, we also included a remunerated practice program during the summer. We have thus demonstrated that the gates of CTE Trailers are always open to students who want to learn. One such extraordinary child is Robert, one of the students who started high school in a dual system and then continued with the internship during the summer.

Robert was born and raised in a commune in Giurgiu County, Bolintin-Deal. Like other young people his age, he had to choose between household work and field work specific to rural life, and school. With the support of his family, he chose to learn, to acquire a trade that would allow him a better life. He is more than aware of the wrong choices that a young man his age may be tempted to make. Moreover, he also knows of the various poorly paid “summer jobs” that students who want to earn honest money turn to. 

As with many others of his age, online plays an important role in Robert’s life. Even before discovering the activities offered by CTE Trailers and the Dual School program, he was passionate about computers and technology. 

Thus, he explained to us how he learned to use an operating system similar to Linux to test applications for computers. In the near past he even repaired computers and phones for acquaintances and family, earning some money from this activity. He even shared with us a story about how he surprised his mother when he replaced her phone’s broken screen by himself. When we asked him how he learned these technical skills, Robert told us that he had learned on his own, by watching tutorials on the internet and through a lot of practice. His access to information and need turned him into a self-taught person, simultaneously providing him with an income source.

Talking about the Dual School program, Robert tells us that he finds it very beneficial for young people his age. He enjoys the scholarship received from CTE Trailers, appreciates the fact that he has the opportunity to learn in a friendly environment, with new textbooks and computers, that he combines theory with practice and that in the end he always remains with practically applicable knowledge. At the same time, as one who has had the chance to test the program directly, he wants more high school classmates to choose this path with bright prospects.

During the summer, along with six other colleagues from the CTE Trailers Dual School program, Robert chose to invest his time in himself and took a job at CTE Trailers, with an eight-hour contract, of which they worked six hours, according to the law. For both Robert and the other students, employment contracts were issued for a month or two, according to the wishes and availability of the young.

Concluding, Robert is an example of the fact that a secure future can be built with the right guidance and resources. 

In his high school Robert basically became an ambassador for the CTE Trailers Dual State School program, and we hope that more colleagues will follow in his footsteps, realising themselves that the offered benefits are real, palpable and future-proof.

Dual Vocational School at CTE Trailers: efforts and results

by admin | Jul 26, 2022 | Dual Vocational School