Colegiul Tehnic “Traian Vuia” is a technical/vocational school, situated in Galati, a city in the east of the country, lying on the left bank of the river Danube. The school trains its students in various domains of activity, such as: car mechanics, ICT and sports (rugby classes).
The Technical College “Traian Vuia” plays an important role in the field of initial professional training, guidance and education provided to the pupils between 15 – 18 years old for their future social and economic insertion into the labour market at the national and European level. The college provides certificates of professional competences for the following occupations: car mechanics, mechatronics, and car electricians. It also offers both for students and adults the possibility to get the driving license for professionals.
Among the school subjects which are taught in our school there are to be mentioned the technological subjects related to the main field of the school, car mechanics; in addition to the technological subjects, the school curriculum includes other subjects related to general knowledge, such as: sciences, foreign languages – English and French, humanities, as well as physical education, of course. For the last years, we have been trying to prepare our future graduates (future car mechanics, mainly) for the labour market, implying them in different activities meant to teach and give them some elementary information of entrepreneurship, of improving their skills acquired during school training in order to get easily well paid jobs.
There are a lot of advantages that our school can offer those students who choose to attend and graduate it, such as: a wide range of professional qualifications tailored to the labour market, certificates of professional competences for jobs wanted on the labour market, possibility of professional training under the tutelage of economic agents, a 200 RON monthly scholarship through a national programme of supporting vocational education, an extensive network of partnerships within the community and region, modern material base, driving license category B (car) and C (truck), free of charge, employability at economic agents in the auto field, after graduation, a wide range of extracurricular activities that meet students’ interests and hobbies, and are also meant to promote European values, equal opportunities for all participants in the process of education, openness to lifelong learning.
However, a large number of students in our school are subject to specific economical problems as they come from socially and economically disadvantaged families: occupational travellers, unemployed and ethnic minorities (Roma population), so they are at risk of social exclusion due to the financial problems their families have to face.
Thus, working on European projects will broaden our students’ perspectives in a positive manner. It will also give them a life-changing experience which could raise their confidence and determination for better.
Our school has permanently been involved in a wide range of projects and activities focused on a great number of diversified environmental issues. There have been: 1) local projects, between counties, in partnership with various NGOs, such as: “Conservation of biodiversity in protected areas”, the activity “Environmental pollution – a harmful factor for the humankind” within the project “Let’s discover the Universe”(2010), “The survivors of the climate”(2015); 2) national projects: “Eco Photo of the years 2010, 2011” organized by the Carpathian-Danubian Centre of Geoecology, Bucharest, “Eco Patrol” (2013), “Schools for a green future”(2012-2013), and “The recycling Patrol” in partnership with the Association ROREC Bucharest; 3) international projects: “Eco school” and the international contest “Water, a miracle” (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), and other projects and activities performed in collaboration with the Faculty of Mechanics or the Faculty of Food engineering within the Lower Danube University of Galati.The efforts made by the teachers involved in eco projects and activities are aimed at transforming education into an effective tool for training the younger generation at the European Community countries’ standards. Their main goal is to help students understand the dangers of a super polluted world, develop their environment awareness, encourage them to take actions and assume responsibilities. The group of teachers (chemistry and biology teachers, the educational counselor, the Romanian teacher, the deputy principal as well as the principal) that will be involved in this project have a vast experience in conducting, guiding and monitoring projects and activities focused on environmental issues as they have participated in numerous projects at local, national and international level as can be easily noticed from the above mentioned. They attended specific programmes and courses related to ways and methods of approaching environmental problems with students. Their network of collaborators is diverse, from various NGOs to higher educational institutions or other upper secondary schools.
