In January 1993 the «Republican Institute for Vocational Education» (RIPO) was established for the scientific and methodological provision of vocational education and training (VET), including technical vocational and secondary specialized education as well as retraining and qualification improvement of pedagogical staff in VET in the Republic of Belarus.
In May 1999, the organizational structure of RIPO was enlarged through the incorporation of the «Minsk Vocational College of Machine-Building» and, in July with the inclusion of «Minsk Industrial Pedagogical College».
Within RIPO’s infrastructure there is the «Faculty of Retraining and Qualification Improvement», with its 4 chairs («Chair of Psychology of Vocational Education», «Chair of General and Vocational Pedagogy», «Chair of Management and social - philosophical Disciplines», «Chair of Informatization of Vocational Education»). Furthermore, the Centre of Technical Vocational And Secondary Specialized Education Development, the Centre Of Scientific And Methodological Provision Of Social Work With Students, the Centre of Information Technologies, the International Cooperation Department. Plus, the Publishing Centre, 3 boards and 6 departments of educational and methodological provision, and a post-graduate school.
In 1998 with the support of the European Training Foundation (ETF) the National Observatory of Belarus in the field of vocational education and labour market has been established at RIPO.
Since 1999 RIPO has been included in the worldwide network of UNEVOC members, being the official representative office of UNEVOC in Belarus.
The overall number of RIPO staff is around 870. There are 45 people with graduate degrees including doctors of science, candidates of science as well as professors and senior lecturers.
RIPO colleges employ over 130 teachers and 44 foremen of industrial training. These educational branches cater for about 2200 students in 13 vocational trades such as specialties in building, machine-building, economics and tourism.
Every year, at the RIPO «Faculty of Retraining and Qualification Improvement» with its teaching staff of 35 persons over 4000 people are undergoing retraining and qualification improvement (refresher courses) and in addition about 600 unemployed receive vocational education courses.
Retraining and qualification improvement is available for persons with higher education (specialties «Pedagogy», «Practical Psychology», «Social Pedagogics», «Management in Education») and with the secondary special education (specialty «Vocational training»).
The number of post-graduate students of RIPO is 25 within the following directions: «Theory and Methodology of Vocational Education» and «Pedagogical Psychology».
During the period from 1994 to 2008 RIPO carried out over 220 scientific research and project works for recipients like the European Training Foundation, different Ministries of the Republic of Belarus (Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the Ministry of Economics, the Branch Ministries), the Committee on Science and Technology, Employment Service, Regional boards of Education, educational institutions and industrial enterprises of the Republic of Belarus Belarus in the following fields:
- Improvement of the legislative framework governing VET, background and drafting of normative documents regulating relations between VET institutions, enterprises, organisations in the socio-economic sphere;
- Studies on development of labour market (LM), its links with technical vocational and secondary specialised education;
- Human Resources and LM Key Indicators;
- Modernisation of the VET management and administration system on the base of the decentralisation and the social partnership promotion;
- Studies on economics issues in VET;
- Optimization of VET schools system;
- Researches on issues of standardisation of technical vocational and secondary specialised education, training and retraining, educational standards for different industrial branches and development of a new set of standard methodological documents;
- Development of a quality assurance system in VET on the base of educational standards taking into account the introduction of new standards ISO 9000 to the production in Belarus;
- Researches on the National Qualification Framework for specialists and workers, transparency and recognition of qualifications;
- Elaboration and implementation of Life Long Learning (LLL) concept;
- Developing and introducing curricula for VET schools, special programmes for adults, unemployed and disabled persons;
- Providing the opportunity for post graduate, retraining and qualification improvement with all categories of VET pedagogic staff;
- Scientific and methodological basis for VET informatization, implementation of information and communication technologies in technical vocational and secondary specialised education, retraining and qualification improvement system;
- Scientific and methodological provision of social and psychological work in VET schools;
- Introducing innovative approaches, identifying and disseminating positive experience in national and international VET practice;
- Defining priorities (key areas) for future researches in VET;
- Raising awareness of Wider Europe Strategy, tendencies and programmes in the field of human recourses development
Research works are carried out with the participation of competent national experts from relevant regions of Belarus (RIPO has support points in all 7 regions) as well as in the framework of international co-operation.
RIPO developed the draft bill «On the Technical Vocational Education in the Republic of Belarus», the concept approaches on organization and functioning of social and psychological services in VET schools, the Concept and Program of Technical Vocational Education development in the Republic of Belarus for the periods 2001 – 2005 and 2006-2010, the Concept and Program of the Secondary Specialized Education Development for 2006-2010.
RIPO in charge of the development of technical vocational and secondary specialized educational standards. An innovative set of standard methodological documentation has been successfully introduced into educational institutions of Belarus. Educational standards were elaborated by RIPO for all (155) specialties in the secondary specialized education and all (100) specialties in the technical vocational education.
The RIPO Centre of Information Technologies has launched a constantly updated VET portal, a web journal «Education. Personality. Profession.» and a corporate network «Profnet» linking VET stakeholders in all regions of Belarus (http://ripo.unibel.by).
During 2003-2008 the RIPO Publishing Centre edited and printed over 828 items of books, including 37 items of scientific editions and monographs, 791 items of education and training reference books and editions with educational program documentation.
An important direction of RIPO activities is organizing and carrying out of different events related to VET and LM issues on its own initiative as well as for different customers such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the Ministry of Economics of Belarus, the Branch Ministries, the Higher Attestation Commission, the Committee on Science and Technology, Regional VET methodological centres, educational institutions and industrial enterprises of Belarus, the UNESCO, the European Training Foundation and other educational research institutions from NIS countries and Germany, Poland and Hungary, Sweden and Lithuania.
There are over 10 conferences and seminars organized annually on the RIPO basis and more than 20 events are organized and carried out in different regions of Belarus with the use of material and technical resources of other institutions (mainly VET schools).
As a whole the RIPO infrastructure and its staff profiles contributes to a qualitative and proficient organization of its activities and efficient accomplishment of strategic assignments in the field of human resources development in the Republic of Belarus.
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