The study visit under the Leonardo da Vinci program (LdV) devoted to the development of vocational education and training in Europe, integration of social partners, personal development of individuals in the labour market, students and experts in the field of education and training, staff workers and learning about the culture and heritage of countries, was held in August 2010.
Study visit entitled "International exchange of experience in the development of skills in education and training of hairdressers' in London was attended by four teachers and mentors from the High school for design in Maribor (N. Rat, M. Pinter, S. Vidic and A. Primec) three hairdressing experts (S. Skarica, B. Družovec, M. Vidovič) and three experts in the field of human resource management (I. Rat, B. Tomazic and M. Rakun).
The main objective of the mobility project, with the acronym IN-HAIR, was international exchange of education experience with the aim of developing skills in teaching and training of hairdressers.
In 2005, Slovenia renewed the educational program for hairdresser, which should provide a higher quality of education and the reform of teaching process. Teaching contracts became mandatory and schools must actively adapt curriculum to the needs of the market.
The planned mobility therefore relates to the requirements of the revised system in Slovenia and aims to support it by the modern ICT and multimedia. The host organization was not chosen at random but carefully selected on the basis of the offered knowledge, experience and expected further cooperation.
England has effectively innovated and upgraded its educational system for hairdressers with innovative methods. In England, it is an established practice that the e-education is part of the curriculum and further training for hairdressers. Education and training for hairdressers is complemented by web portals for education and training that are freely accessible. Using video and online tools students improve their learning and become more successful, while improving the overall learning experience. Participants of the mobility have established contact with the host organisation in 2009 when they met each other at the hairdressing event in Slovenia. Even then, it was clear that England is an ideal country for comparison of education systems and acquiring new skills and experience. The selected organization is a leader in online training of hairdressers; it also implements innovative courses and seminars in the field of hairdressing and is included in the network of hairdressing salons and schools.
At the end of August 2010, ten participants travelled to England under the organization of My Hairdressers Limited. Participants of the mobility were teachers and mentors of the design school in Maribor involved in education and training of students in all hairdressing skills. Another group of the participants were the hairdressing experts – tutors and demonstrators, carrying out training and education of trainees and hairdressers in their hairdressing salons, through workshops and events and through the association of hairdressers. The third group of participants were experts in the field of human resource management and communication with target groups. All participants shared the common goal to see improvements in education and training programs primarily in the hairdressers’ innovative approaches and methods.
With the exchange of knowledge, participants will introduce innovative tools for education and training of practitioners / hairdressers and the corresponding organizational changes in the education network into the Slovenian environment.
