Dual education as a tool for the integration of young technical graduates into the labour market

Abstract

Introduction: This study, carried out at the Ecuadorian Fiscal Educational Unit, an Amazonian country, analyzes dual education as a training model that combines training in educational institutions with practical work in companies; a key tool for the training of technical high school graduates and their integration into the labor market. Materials and methods: Based on the diagnosis of teachers' and managers' knowledge of this model, their experiences and those of students in the practical implementation of the Workplace Training Module (FCT), as well as the analysis of the documents that govern this process, and using empirical methods and techniques such as documentary analysis, interviews, and surveys; and theoretical methods such as analysis, synthesis, and modeling, the challenges in the implementation of dual education in the institution under research are identified, and a strategy is proposed to improve it and enhance its effectiveness. Results: The proposed pedagogical strategy for developing dual education in the training of technical bachelors supported the work of the teaching staff as a solution to the research problem posed. It was positively received, as it combines theoretical learning at school with practical work experience in a company, thus enhancing the capabilities of apprentices in line with the needs of companies. Discussion: An effective tool for the job placement of young technical bachelors is dual education. This constitutes a teaching-learning modality carried out between an educational institution and a company, complemented by coordinated activities based on the fundamental principle of the education-work relationship. Therefore, it is necessary to refine it. Conclusions: The implementation of the socialization workshop and partial application of the pedagogical strategy recognize the validity of the developed proposal and the possibilities for socialization in other training contexts with similar conditions. It stimulated motivation and was very well received by the institution's teachers.