Pinewood Grade 11 & Business Students visit CEDEFOP

On Wednesday, May 11, all students in grade 11 and the Business Management I class went on a career oriented trip to CEDEFOP. CEDEFOP is the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. It is the EU’s reference centre for providing scientific and technical know­how in specific fields and promote exchanges of ideas between different European partners.
The director Mr. Calleja welcomed the students and talked about the importance of behavioral skills and respect in the working environment also the importance of flexibility and passion for your work, the Head of H­R, Ms. Manderscheid, the officer of Learning and Development, Ms. Germanova and the trainees talked about their educational backrgound and career development over the years. The students were able to ask questions and later on interact and ask more specific questions over light lunch that was graciously provided by Cedefop.
The students found the trip very useful for planning their future education and career path, as they learned about many less known professions like the DPO ( Data Protection Officer) or the Statistics Analyst job. They learned that it is very common to earn a University degree in one field of education and do a Master in another. Also the possibility to change professions in their
working career is very high these days with increased globalization and competition and they must realize the necessity to show respect and be flexible and adaptive in today’s diverse societies.

We all hope that it will become a tradition for Pinewood students to visit CEDEFOP every year.

Katerina Tsaloumi
Economics and Business Teacher
Grade 11 advisor