Education in Automotive Trades, Status and Future Prospects
Hreinn Á. Óskarsson and Ólafur G. Pétursson, department heads for automotive studies at Borgarholtsskóli, have strong opinions on vocational education, on-the-job training, and the cooperation between industry and schools.
They both ended up in teaching by pure chance but agree that being around young people keeps them young. “Young people think in fresh ways,” says Hreinn, and Ólafur agrees. “You’ve long since stopped being a car mechanic and have taken on a completely different role, sometimes even a semi-paternal one, but it’s fun,” he says.
They believe the studies became more focused in the new format they had to adopt during COVID. “We had fewer individuals throughout the day, could focus on larger projects, and we learned new tactics in teaching. That is, to divide the students up, have fewer at a time for longer periods, and we often managed to cover more material,” says Ólafur.
They agree that there is fatigue among students after the last two years, and Hreinn points out that this is a kind of social fatigue, which has manifested in some students as a lack of concentration to pursue their studies, while others found their footing better in this structure. Social life can therefore be a major factor in students feeling good at school.
As for the future, they believe the program needs to meet the demands of the present and be a good foundation for further education. For that to become a reality, they want to have an honest conversation with the industry about the future development of the program, so that the direction is clear. In their view, the industry and the school need to work better together to create a comprehensive strategy. The school needs to know the long-term needs of the industry, but at the same time, the industry needs to be prepared to train students for the jobs of the future.
