In October 2013, Frank Tetzlaff, a trainer in the project workshop at BUTTING in Knesebeck, spent two weeks at the LEVC in Tieling, China. He was supporting the teacher responsible for the project at BBS II, Heinrich Meyer. Both of them were on the spot to support and take part in developing and implementing the practical curriculum.
Up to now, the Chinese college focussed on teaching theoretical contents. So it was necessary to introduce both teachers and students to the principle of holistic, practice-oriented learning, which has already been tried and tested in Germany since the 1990s.
In a 1 000 m² training workshop, Frank Tetzlaff and Heinrich Meyer were able to develop the teaching projects brought from Germany with the Chinese students and teachers. Both the German trainers also introduced the students to the subject of health and safety at work. The aim of BUTTING Tieling is to take on some of the graduates from the LEVC.
There is enormous interest in this dual training system among politicians and the media in China, because the integration of practical work processes and theoretical teaching is almost entirely unknown there. Various TV teams and newspapers and local politicians from the region were present to find out more about this new type of curriculum.
The next step in this cooperation will be the visit of a Chinese delegation, including teachers from the LEVC, to BUTTING at Knesebeck. Then the curriculum will focus particularly on practical training in the BUTTING project workshop.
BUTTING – Progress by Tradition