Cooperation with business
We have started cooperation with Knauf Gips Company from Germany www.knauf.de with business in EU and worldwide. Our first business contact with Knauf Gips Austria www.knauf.at and Knauf Gips Serbia www.knauf.rs was in spring 2003, and from September 1st, we have established dry construction fitters class in our school, and first 20 students came to our school. We have support in construction materials and tools for our workshops for students in professional occupations dry construction fitter, mason and tiler. We use Knauf business network of contractors, entrepreneurs, and craftsmen for student practice organization on construction sites in Belgrade City, and scholarships for students in dormitories. Knauf Gips Company is a sponsor for Serbian Competition for Construction High School students in drywall systems and European Competition of the same kind known as Knauf Junior Trophy. We also have cooperation with other companies from the gips industry and dry construction systems from EU and Serbia.
Our school have cooperation with other EU and Serbian companies from the construction material industry and project design & construction engineering, for our other students of different crafts and profiles.
Entrepreneurship key competences ‘Ideas & Opportunities’
I promote Economic Freedom to my students. That means I promote Economic Freedom as a fundamental right of every human to control his or her own labor and property. Students need to understand that in an economically free society, individuals are free to work, produce, consume, and invest in any way they please. In economically free societies, governments allow labor, capital, and goods to move freely and refrain from coercion or constraint of liberty beyond the extent necessary to protect and maintain liberty itself. Freedom is a lifestyle. Economic Freedom makes ‘Ideas & Opportunities’ achievable.
Entrepreneurship Competence is Economic Freedom strength and protection. I am teaching my students to be craftsmen, and also, I promote and teach them entrepreneurship competences because I know that the free market and liberal society need educated and trained entrepreneurs. I was an entrepreneur (June 1992- December 2000), before I started to work as a high school professor/teacher of construction technology and practice from January 2001. Some of my best-graduated students are entrepreneurs nowadays, and as an example, I send to you copies of their three recommendation letters for me, in attachment o this application.
Entrepreneur ‘Ideas & Opportunities’ make his struggle for Economic Freedom fundamental value for human society development.
Spotting opportunities
Opportunities for my students are the following:
1. after graduation – craftsman,
2. with professional experience – foreman, and
3. with business knowledge and skills – entrepreneur.
Opportunities for me, as a teacher, is to establish a business network of my ex-students nowadays educated and trained craftsmen, foremen, and entrepreneurs in Belgrade City, for the best possible practice for my new students that I organize on construction sites. My best ex-students nowadays professionals are a new part of my business network, the old part of the network is from times when I was an entrepreneur.
My teaching and learning approaches to achieve the learning outcomes are based on:
1. Effective communication. The exchange of information
2. Influencing the organization. The ability to “get things done”
3. Leadership. Developing a vision and strategy, and motivating people to achieve that vision and strategy
4. Motivation. Energizing people to achieve high levels of performance and to overcome barriers to change
5. Negotiation and conflict management. Conferring with others to come to terms with them or to reach an agreement
6. Problem solving. The combination of problem definition, alternatives identification and analysis, and decision-making.
Entrepreneurship key competences ‘Resources’ and ‘Into Action’
I promote Earned Value Control Technique to my students. Earned value control management is a project management technique for measuring project performance and progress. This is essential for successful project management. Earned value method as a tool for project control.
Earned Value Control is a well-known project management tool that uses information on cost, schedule and work performance to establish the current status of the project. By means of a few simple rates, it allows the manager to extrapolate current trends to predict their likely final effect.
Planning and management
Planning and management encompass planning, organizing, staffing, executing, and controlling the operations of an ongoing enterprise. It includes supporting disciplines such as:
1) Financial management and accounting
2) Purchasing and procurement
3) Sales and marketing
4) Contracts and commercial law
5) Manufacturing and distribution
6) Logistics and supply chain
7) Strategic planning, tactical planning, and operational planning
8) Organizational structures, organizational behavior, personnel administration, compensation, benefits, and career paths
9) Health and safety practices
10) Information technology.
My teaching and learning approaches to achieve the learning outcomes are based on professional education and training, knowledge and skills, principles and procedures, personal and professional ethics in:
1) occupational health & safety;
2) first aid;
3) construction engineering;
4) drywall construction systems;
5) the well-been life outcomes and success for all.
PETAR RAKAS, professor / teacher of construction technology and practice, occupational safety & health adviser,
construction engineer – specialist (postgraduate degree), specialist in construction management
Construction Vocational High School, Hajduk Stankova Street 2, 11050 Belgrade City, Republic of Serbia
www.rakas.rs handy: +381-64-172-53-73 petar.rakas@gmail.com
petar@rakas.rs telephone in teachers room: +381-11-400-2-193
