This document discusses cooperation between schools and local businesses to help students with special needs find employment. It notes that only 30% of Slovak citizens with disabilities are employed and schools currently do little to connect students to future employers. The document advocates for expanding dual education programs where students receive vocational training directly from future employers. It also describes a school cafe program aimed at teaching students vocational and social skills to improve employment opportunities. The school's vision is to continue partnering with local authorities and businesses to open more sheltered workshops and jobs for graduates.

1. Co-operation between school
and local businesses
Link between education and
world of work
Private primary school with nursery for children with
autism in Prešov, Slovakia

2. …some facts to start with…
• only 30% out of all 240 000 Slovak citizens with
handicap is employed at free labour market (8,6% of
economically active population)
• no statistics reflect how much of this number people
with mental handicap represent
• at Slovak schools there is no working position for an
employee, who would actively search for work
placements and build links with future employers for
students after finishing their education

3. Professional orientation
• At mainstream primary and secondary schools in Slovakia
there is a role of an Educational Counsellor, whose work,
apart from the other duties, is to help students in their
professional orientation – what would be the best work for
them according their personal and professional
predispositions.
• However the educational counsellor do not deal with direct
communication with future employer and neither search for
potential employers in the region.
• The role of educational counsellor is never a full time position
but combined with other position (for example with teaching)

4. Teacher’s role in educational process
• One of the priorities of a teacher has always been and always will be to
search for the best a student can achieve and to help them find a way to
fulfil their potential and put it to the best use for them as well as for a whole
society.
• In special need education each student is an individual challenge for a
teacher and requires an individual approach.
• It is necessary to have a good co-operation with a family of a student and
together search for the best solution for each student individually, to take
into account their personal, physical and mental predispositions, family
backgrounds, family support and motivation.
• Last but not least we need to take into account student’s visions and desires,
which are often not realistic and our task is to explain in the least harming
way, what is real and what is not regarding their future jobs.

5. Dual education
• In Slovakia there is a network of schools which provide vocational
education for students with special needs. However there is no direct link
between the school and future employer.
• Secondary Vocational Schools can enter the system of dual education which
should lead to better links between education at school and needs of
potential employers in order to educate and train the students according
the needs of their future employers, so after graduation they are not only
qualified but already experienced to start working in their work position.
• Students have their practical training of their vocational subjects directly at
the company of their future employer. Vocational training is tailored
directly on the particular need of the company and after graduation the
have secured work placement at the same company.
• However the schools have no obligation to join in the dual education! There
is still only a limited number of school which have contracts with potential
employers, where students have appropriate conditions for vocational
training.

6. Vocational education and training of
students with special needs
Vocational education and training is provided at Practical Schools, which prepare
students with mental disabilities, multiplied disabilities and students with autism in:
vocational – practical subjects:
- Health Education
- Food Technology and Nurishment
- Housekeeping
and main subjects:
- Office support work
- Garden support work
- Kitchen support work
• The choice of main subjects depends on the condition of the school (material,
equipment, etc.)
• After finishing practical school a student is prepared to work in a sheltered
workshop/employment.
• After completion of school students do not receive the Vocational Certificate but only
a Certificate of completion of practical school.

7. Link between practical school with
potential employers
• Basically does not exist. Everything depends on condition in region;
if there is a company willing to employ or has capacity to employ
people with mental disability.
• It depends on the will and ability of schools to actively search for
potential employers, despite the fact that they are not personally
equipped for this task, and neither it is expected from them by low.
• Sheltered employment in the region is mainly provided by
employers with philanthropic feeling, who have not only set targets
to earn, but also to help those who are in need, who can not help
themselves and create a sheltered work position.

8. General experience
• Most of the companies who are willing to employ a
person with mental disability, autism or multiplied
disabilities have the philanthropic intention in the
company philosophy or they have a personal
experience, or in their family there is a person with
special needs.
• Most sheltered workshops and work positions are
created by NGO-s and non-profit organizations
founded by schools, and initiated mostly by parents
of handicapped students or/and their teachers.

9. Our experience
• Students with autism and mental disability is a very specific non-
homogeneous group. Each students requires individual approach
and education. Individual approach has to be applied when
searching for appropriate work placement too.
• We have had a luck of information and experience of other
organizations when dealing with this new challenge of searching
appropriate work positions and placements for our students.
• We can offer specific methods to support and develop pre-
vocational skills of our students, but we have had no experience with
integration and inclusion of our students into a world of work.
• That is why we have written „My work is my future“ project, where
we created a platform for exchange of experience, examples of good
practice, ideas, tips and recommendations.

10. School Cafe
• Vestry Cafe and School Cafe at Catcote Academy in Hartlepool has inspired us to open a Cafe
at our school – sheltered cafe simulating real business environment – where our students
have practical lessons and with visual support (video and picture instructions) learn new
vocational as well as social skills.
• With support of video and picture instructions students are trained in:
▫ simple food preparation (sandwich, toast, omelette, salads, cakes)
▫ simple drink preparation (smoothies, coffee, chocolate)
▫ hygiene in the work environment
▫ safety rules in the work environment
▫ working process (keeping certain order, staying at the task, finishing the task,
independence)
▫ serving behind the desk (social skills, dealing with money)
▫ serving customers at the table
• At the same time School Cafe provides possibility for other students who are not
currently involved in Cafe training to visit the cafe and learn and improve their
social skills related to cafe environment:
▫ making an order, reading menu (written or pictures)
▫ dealing with money
▫ sitting at the table

14. Project for the future: Cafe in the
town
• One of the activities of our School Cafe includes
preparation of baguettes for our Town Hall when
there is a meeting and need for such products. It is a
beginning of our co-operation, where the Town
council support our cafe by giving us this
opportunity.
• At the moment we are in negotiation process with a
Town Council regarding lease of a space in the town
centre, where in the future we can open a Café –
sheltered employment for our graduates and
training place for our students.

16. Our vision
• We know that we are not able to include each graduate into a working
process, find him/her an appropriate job and give him/her a vision for the
future.
• But we believe that in the future we can persuade local authorities and local
businesses to co-operate with us and by the time open a laundry (like we
have seen in Poland) and other sheltered workshops.
• Next year we will have our first graduates.
• We are constantly looking for solutions as we believe that such efforts are
necessary and it is important not only for our students but also for our
society, for us – teachers, for our knowledge that we do not educate our
students to spend the rest of their life at home or at centres of daily care –
excluded and passive.
• We are grateful to all of you for your experience and inspiration, which you
are sharing with us in this project. They are a driving force in all our
attempts and activities. We believe that whatever works in your institution
or country can as well work in our School and in Slovakia.

17. Thank you for your attention