The good circle

"- If we bring these resource persons and regional schools into closer association with local business and industry, a symbiotic relationship develops between the educational system and working life."

The good circle

RKK’s 32 regional resource centres for continuing education and competence development are distributed from Sauda in the north to Egersund in the south. Those who teach and work here have the best professional and pedagogical qualifications. If we bring these resource persons and regional schools into closer association with local business and industry, a symbiotic relationship develops between the educational system and working life.

This happens on different levels. We can illustrate the process with the following example: industry approaches RKK and/or the local school with its competence development needs. If the school cannot exactly meet these requirements through its existing courses, a training programme will be tailor made. The development costs are met by RKK. The course is conducted and industry pays a lower price which still leaves RKK with an operating profit. Part of this surplus is then returned to the schools in the form of new technical equipment, funding for continuing education and competence development for the teachers, study grants etc. Enhanced teaching competence and modern technical equipment in the school also bring increased benefit to the regular day students. In brief, we find ourselves in a ”good circle”.

Industry benefits from training provision in the local area at little cost and with no travel and hotel expenses, limited absence from work and so on. The teachers benefit from contact with business and industry and get funding to educate themselves further. We make better use of the physical school premises and upgrade technical facilities sooner than normally possible. The 32 vocational schools act as 32 local resource centres which, through the RKK model and cooperation with local industry, become 32 good circles.

The good circle has evolved and comprises today many aspects related to competence and regional development: Network building, projects, Education, late education, comeptence transfer, competence export, schools development, ICT technology, regional development, internationalisation, entrepreneurship, finanicing and innovation.