The pace of technological progress is not in doubt, but how can schools harness such advances for their students?

The ‘Let’s go on!’  project, funded by the European Social Fund, is applying innovative solutions to help students reach their potential.  INFIS, secondary IT and financial services school, in Czechia, has the ambition to empower students by providing them with the tools they need to find success after graduating from school.

‘Our target is for our students to have portfolios that would meet future employers’ expectations’, says Lenka Holubová, school headmaster of INFIS.

Let’s go on! arranged activities and organised clubs aimed at developing students’ soft skills. These included: a workshop at the Tušimice power plant, the creation of student e-portfolios, joining the school parliament and building and landscaping work around the school grounds. These activities were valuable and very popular among students and teachers. The goal was to prepare students for life after school by providing them with the skills to thrive in the workplace.

The project focused on coordinating activities for students, providing career counsellors and special needs education specialists, and tutoring students who risk underachieving or dropping out of education altogether.

Both teachers and students greatly benefited. Teachers were trained to implement new educational technologies in their everyday teaching. Applications like Kahoot, Quizizz and Nearpod empowered teachers to improve interaction with their students.

‘The project activities were aimed at successful teachers’ career development via enhancing their competencies as well as students’ career development’, explains Lenka.

ESF funding was vital to the project’s success. It helped facilitate students’ journey towards gaining the skills employers are looking for.