Georgia Work Ethics Program
The SCANS report (U.S. Department of Labor, 1991) listed the skills and competencies that one should possess after graduating from high school in order to succeed in the world of work. The “foundation“ skills include responsibility, defined as follows: “Exerts a high level of effort and perseverance toward goals attainment. Works hard to become excellent at doing tasks by setting high standards, paying attention to details, working well, and displaying a high level of concentration even when assigned an unpleasant task. Displays high standards of attendance, punctuality, enthusiasm, vitality, and optimism in approaching and completing tasks.”Moreover, many researches showed the particular need for developing the work ethics of students before they enter the labour market. In response to these needs, a program of work ethics was conceived as a winning proposition for all concerned:
Students begin employment with positive work ethic skills, which will enhance their value as employees.Instructors develop more motivated and attentive students.Employers acquire employees with desirable work habits.Program coordinators is Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education, and it was developed at three different technical colleges, relying on a long tradition: teaching of work ethics had been introduced in Georgia high schools in 1978. The program is currently applied at all 34 technical colleges in Georgia, as well as in many other educational institutions in the US and the world.
This practice is valuable for two reasons. Firstly, because it offers an example of the education in values and attitudes, which can be a problem by itself. Secondly, because during several decades of its development, the program encountered and solved many problems. Certain preconditions for the success of the program are accordingly established:
Cooperation of all factors in the development of the program, with a special attention payed to the needs of the economyA clear and complete organization of the program, with minimum improvisationThe importance of good work ethics must permeate all facets of the institutionProviding students a timely feedback on good and bad behaviorEvaluating the work ethics and displaying the mark on the academic transcriptMarketing: Internal (ongoing promotion of work ethics inside the institution) and external (promoting the need for the employers to ask potential employees for transcripts of work ethics grades). An external supervision of the realization of the program, and especially of the evaluation.
Privrednik
Serb economic association Privrednik (the Businessman) was established in 1897 by Vladimir Matijević, the famous merchant and banker. It was the most important humanitarian organization between the First and Second World War, with a goal to provide education for poor children and subsequently to employ the young people educated this way. The long-term objective was the development of a strong middle class in order to guarantee the stability of the society, a project about which Serbian academician Jovan Cvijić said:
“It appears that the urban middle class, that even the Nemanyid dynasty, rich in talented statesmen, did not manage to create, will be created today by Privrednik, and that is why it is the institution that we need the most.”By taking charge of, educating and employing some 40.000 young people, Privrednik came close to realize this goal.The values development was the base of success of Privrednik. The boarders were brought up according to principles : “work, thrift, honesty”. The strict regulation envisaged not only the craft education, but also an education preparing for new, independent life. The boarders testify that these courses “of life” treated fundamental things and were simple and frequent. One of them will say: “If somebody were brought up to know how to work, to have a correct attitude towards work, whichever it was, it was us, the boarders of Privrednik”.
