LEAPS and EMS
LEAPS Program – Strengthening the School-Industry Partnership
The LEAPS model has recently introduced a new initiative called the company program. This program builds on the existing model and contributes to intensifying cooperation with companies. The program is aimed at all students in the country’s LEAPS schools, where each grade level undergoes at least one annual course lasting several weeks with a selected company as an authentic business partner. The partnership between the school and the company creates a clear connection and link between the school’s subjects and the company’s work, and the company receives a certificate that can be used for branding purposes.
The collaboration is beneficial for the companies involved, as it offers them good conditions for attracting skilled employees, participation in the LEAPS network, goodwill in the local community, local and national branding opportunities, training in product communication, skills development for the companies’ employees, new inputs for idea generation and problem-solving, social responsibility, and the fulfilment of their CSR strategies.
A Contribution to the Danish Workforce
The LEAPS initiative is considered a societal task to turn the educational landscape in Denmark around, where approximately 20% of a cohort does not receive a youth education, and at the same time, Denmark lacks young people with vocational and technical education. LEAPS seeks to make more students company-ready and qualified to make their career and education choices, thereby making a significant contribution to the Danish workforce.
The core of a LEAPS project is based on six components: engaging questions, kickoff, high-quality products, authentic collaborations, multiple drafts and feedback, and exhibition. Furthermore, the following three elements ensure a well-structured LEAPS project: clear and articulate learning goals, interdisciplinary focus, and a focus on deeper learning skills.
EMS has agreed to be part of an exclusive network that focuses on the qualification of the future workforce. We will collaborate with Kvaglundskolen Signatur in Esbjerg, one of Denmark’s ten LEAPS schools, in the first half of 2023. The first business courses will begin with a so-called Matchmaking Day, where the school’s classes and participating companies are matched before the course takes place. As a company, we see this collaboration as an opportunity to lift responsibility for the next generation in the labour market, recruit future employees, sharpen product communication, and position ourselves in the local area.
LEAPS is an innovative educational model that is changing the way students learn, and we are thrilled to be part of this movement.
About The Kata Foundation and LEAP
👉 The Kata Foundation, established in 2006, is a non-profit organisation committed to fostering education and innovation within Denmark. One of their noteworthy accomplishments is the development of LEAPS, which garnered support from various entities, including the Bitten & Mads Clausen Foundation, the Manufacturing Industry in Denmark, and the Salling Foundation.
👉 LEAPS stands for Learning and Engagement through Authentic Projects with a focus on Science.
The purpose of LEAPS is to increase learning and engagement among primary school students in general, with a special focus on STEM subjects.
This is done through project-based learning, where students immerse themselves in engaging issues that draw threads to the surrounding society – locally, as well as nationally and globally.
👉 For more information about LEAPS and the Kata Foundation, please check the link: LEAPS skoler
