Good Mentoring
Practical training in higher vocational education programs comprises up to 800 hours. Students can carry out practical training in companies, institutions, organizations, or with self-employed entrepreneurs that have verified workplaces for practical training and a mentor with at least a VI/1 level of education. The key to building students’ competences, however, is good mentoring.
Mentor’s Tasks
The mentor teaches, guides, motivates, directs, informs, advises, and significantly influences the student’s career path. Therefore, in addition to appropriate professional knowledge and skills, the mentor also needs suitable personal qualities.
The mentor introduces the student to the organization and its activities, presents the organizational structure, work processes, organizational culture, and work environment, and prepares an individual practical training program with tasks and duties the student will perform according to the practical training program.
The mentor encourages the student to learn work procedures and to compare the theoretical knowledge acquired in the study process with processes in the work environment.
The mentor monitors the student throughout the practical training process, assigns work tasks, and provides feedback on the quality of the work performed. The mentor guides the student, points out the consequences of mistakes, and encourages them to develop a critical approach to their work. The mentor promotes independence, initiative, motivation, and progress in the practical training process. More complex tasks are entrusted when the mentor judges that the student has made sufficient progress.
Together with the student, the mentor analyzes completed work and seeks possible solutions to problems, allows student suggestions, and treats the student as a less experienced colleague. The mentor appropriately praises achievements and points out mistakes.
Assessment of Practical Training
The mentor participates in preparing the Practical Training Report and in selecting the topic for the seminar paper, which should be practically oriented (e.g., a specific practical problem with critical analysis, evaluation, and improvement proposals), making it useful also for the employer.
At the end of the practical training, the mentor evaluates the student. This evaluation forms an integral part of the final assessment of practical training for the respective year.