Vocational education and mental health

Our main goal was to deepen cooperation between Slovakia and Germany, as both countries faced similar challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic left a strong mark on students’ mental health across all lev...

Our main goal was to deepen cooperation between Slovakia and Germany, as both countries faced similar challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic left a strong mark on students’ mental health across all levels of education. The more experienced German partner played a crucial role as a mentor and guide in building a network of qualified trainers and in designing quality educational programmes focused on developing participants’ social and soft skills as well as improving their resilience. We identified resilience as a key competence for preventing mental health disorders.

We applied for this project because we felt the need to respond more systematically to the negative consequences of the pandemic on mental health, particularly in the field of education, with the most significant impact on students. We observed increasing pressure on teachers, trainers, and youth workers, who were often facing exhaustion, lack of support, and a growing number of psychological issues among young people. At the same time, we identified the need to strengthen their social and soft skills, which are essential for managing crisis situations and providing support to others. We saw the project as an opportunity to learn from a more experienced international partner and to co-create high-quality educational programmes with the potential for long-term positive impact on both individuals and organizations.

Impact study; Photo; Photo 2; Photo 3; Photo 4; Photo 5; Photo 6