ECO NET in Croatia
(2004-2005)

Within the framework of ECO NET, the participants at the four pilot schools in Croatia (First Economics School Zagreb, Economics School Velika Gorica, Economics and Office School Bjelovar, Second Economics School Zagreb) are offered initial and further training in the fields of training firms work, information technology and foreign languages in the context of business/economics. As training firms work flows into all subjects, the inclusion of teachers of these different subjects is one of the preconditions of the project. In order to facilitate practical training firms work, business centres with the necessary office equipment are being set up at the four schools.

“Training firms” is established as a compulsory optional subject in the curriculum in Croatia. For several years now, some of the schools participating in the ECO NET project have been offering their pupils the opportunity to familiarise themselves with various forms of training firms work which previously took place mostly at a national level.

An important task of the country programme for Croatia is the support of the schools during the establishment of new training firms and their integration into the international and the developing national training firm markets. Participation in the international training firms’ fairs at home and abroad is a good opportunity for the pupils and teachers to present their work, to do business and to make contact with other training firms.

In the advanced stage of the project, a train-the-trainers programme is planned. The task of these trainers is the dissemination of subject teaching methods for training firms’ work. In this way, the preconditions for the training of further training firm teachers and for the establishment of new training firms are created. On the one hand, this ensures the sustainability of the project, and on the other hand it supports the introduction of this teaching concept as a compulsory subject in all economics schools in Croatia, which is being planned on the part of the ministry.