PTS Neusiedl am See

Exam day as optimal preparation for apprenticeship

Christoph Tittler acted as external examiner. He was satisfied.(Bild: Charlotte Titz)

Final apprenticeship exam and fear of it? The polytechnic school in Neusiedl is working against this.

There is often a lack of motivation and willingness to learn among pupils who already have an apprenticeship and are just "sitting out" their time at polytechnic school. In Lower Austria, this is why last year a "technical completion project" was launched to motivate young people once again and, above all, prepare them for the final apprenticeship examination. Young people are often overwhelmed by this. This is the second year of the project in Lower Austria, and PTS Neusiedl am See has also been on board since this year.

The students in the metal department have already passed their exams. Uwe Tschida prepared them for this. "I gave them a plan that they used to make a workpiece," explains Tschida from the metal department. The plan is from an old state competition that the school takes part in every year.

The students made this workpiece. For Uwe Tschida, it is important on the one hand that the young people can read plans and on the other that they can work accurately.(Bild: Charlotte Titz)

On the examination day, everything is based on a real final apprenticeship examination. The workpiece, which was previously produced in the work class, is examined, and the program includes technical theory and a technical discussion with an external examiner.

The assessors are parents and teachers. "We want the parents to know what their children have learned from us and how they behave in exam situations," says Tschida. The examiner on Monday was Christoph Tittler, himself a graduate of PTS Neusiedl am See and has worked at Autohaus Ermler since 2007. "The final exam is a great thing because the students can assess themselves better afterwards. This is important for the final apprenticeship exam," says Tittler. Charlotte Titz