From construction camp experiences to vocational training and remedial education

Balázs Kemes, assistant professor at the Department of Residential Building Design, Faculty of Architecture, BME, has been organising construction camps for students for more than a decade and a half. The aim of these is not only to gain professional and practical experience, but also to make their work of great social benefit. They have built community spaces in ageing, depopulated small towns, renovated homes for people with disabilities, and directly and indirectly improved the situation of people living in extreme poverty and social exclusion. He says it is important for graduates to be exposed to these social issues during their university years, if possible, and to gain a deeper understanding of the social context of their profession.

What is the role of construction camps in the education of architects?

As a part of BME's architectural engineering training programme, being a lecturer of the Department of Public Building Design I have organised 40 construction camps in the last 16 years, in various locations and with different projects. To date, more than 400 students have attended these camps, many of them more than once, with the help of colleagues teaching the relevant subject area. During the camps, students of architecture had the opportunity to try out different trades in a controlled environment, gaining complex practical experience while helping a community in need. It was during these activities that the importance of design became clear, and the standards and technical considerations that were practised revealed their context in a meaningful way. The aim of the camps is to enable university students to start their professional careers as well-prepared designers, able to assess each situation in proportion.

What particularly important camps can you highlight?

Perhaps one of our most important camps, and one that we later developed in other directions, was the Malta Presence programme. In relation to the Monor Presence Programme, which was launched at Christmas 2004, several programme elements have been developed that are now available in most similar initiatives across the country. One of the first Safe Start Children's Home and Learning Centres started its operation there, but it was also the birthplace of the Malta Sports Programme and the Malta Symphony Programme, which are perhaps the best known now. As a member of a research group of architects, I came into contact with the Monor Tabán Settlement in February 2012 and have been following its development closely ever since. During two construction camps, in 2014 during the construction of the bio briquette dryer and in 2019 during the construction of the Acceptance Bakery’s expansion I also came into daily contact with the settlement community when I moved into the Taban for several weeks with a group of architecture students. A lot has changed in the last 12 years. The children born then are now 12 years old, the 7-year-olds are young adults. Looking at such a time span, it is possible to observe the daily struggles of the Presence Programme, as well as the longer-term correlations. It is clear that the Children's House and Learning Centre Programme and other related programme elements have contributed significantly to the successful completion of primary education. The improving labour market position of the settlement’s residents is also clearly visible, which would be further strengthened by secondary education.

Children from the Taban help clean up at the end of the workday at the 2014 Monor construction camp. Photo: by campers

How has cooperation in Monor become more complex?

As architects, we face a critical shortage of professionals not only in construction camps, but also in our everyday lives. What good are plans if there are no skilled workers to implement them?  The Monor Presence Programme cannot of course be comprehended as a sole programme, it is directly linked at several points to the town and its institutions, many of which I have had the opportunity to interact with over the past 12 years. It was because of the discussions to strengthen the educational elements of the programme that I became acquainted with the Cegléd Vocational Education and Training Centre József Szterényi Technical and Vocational School and its teachers. From 1895, the school's namesake, Baron and Minister József Szterényi, wisely reorganised Hungarian industrial education. Since then, under the leadership of Gabriella Lipka, the school's teachers have continued to work in the spirit of this intellectual heritage, organising various vocational education and training courses in the region. The dedicated work of the close-knit teaching community is reflected in the high number of students who successfully complete their courses, as well as in the outstanding academic results. The inclusive, i.e. person-centred, day-to-day operation of the school, which prevents all forms of exclusion and marginalisation, makes for a particularly good and inclusive community atmosphere. This is perhaps the main reason why the institution is so popular not only with students but also with teachers. Many people commute long distances every day just to study or teach here.

Success for stone carving students at the EuroSkills national preliminaries. Photo: József Szterényi Technical and Vocational School

Why did you choose to promote vocational education and training for tinsmiths?

Building tinsmithing is one of the most spectacular building trades. Tin structures are used on the exterior of buildings, and in many cases they also have a decorative function in addition to their various technical functions. The complex elements, often made using handcrafted techniques, are the reason why tinsmiths are appreciated by the public. Despite this, tinsmithing has become one of the professions most affected by the skills shortage. Prefa Hungária Ltd. has been supporting initiatives that aim to promote and strengthen the Hungarian tinsmith profession with materials, expertise and training for years. With one of our longest-standing supporters, Judit Nemere, civil engineer and managing director of Prefa Hungária Ltd. we decided to try to promote and help the cause of vocational education and training.

Building on this important foundation, linked to the excellent potential of the town and in partnership with the school open to our initiative, we decided to create a full-time secondary school tinsmithing course in 2021. As a first step, the school's teachers of the co-curricular subjects had to obtain a tinsmith qualification, for which we organised an evening adult training course in the school year 2022-23. To reach the number of students needed to start the course, we recruited from among the school's former students with good skills in other professions, and interested architects also joined the team. The CSZC József Szterényi Technical and Vocational School provided the accredited venue for the training itself and organised the examinations. Theoretical lessons were held by vocational technical instructor Erzsébet Geönczöl, while practical training was provided by Tibor Takács, Csaba Virth and Gábor Szigeti, tinsmithing instructors from Prefa Hungária Ltd., in one of the school's workshops converted for this purpose. Prefa's dedication to the training of tinsmiths is demonstrated by the fact that, in addition to the training in Monor, they organised a complementary training course lasting several days at the parent company's Austrian headquarters in Marktl-Lilienfeld and another training course at the company's training centre in Veszprém that also lasted several days. In addition to the raw materials used during the training, Prefa provided the necessary tools and all the supplies for the trainees during the external training sessions. As a result of years of work, the eight-strong team, including three of the school's teaching staff, passed the tinsmithing exam. The institution has thus obtained the accreditation to offer full-time tinsmith training from the 2023-24 academic year.

Adult tinsmithing training in the Prefa training room in Veszprém. Photo: Balázs Kemes

Where does the programme stand now?

We are delighted to announce the launch of a full-time tinsmithing training course in Monor. The next task is to advertise this training opportunity and increase the number of staff. In parallel with the above, we are now working on the creation of a secondary school dormitory in Monor.

International Construction Camp 2018: Vietnamese and Hungarian students in Prefa's training room in Budaörs. Photo: Balázs Kemes

Why did you choose full-time education?

At first glance, the full-time form of secondary school may seem strange, but we believe that it allows for a deeper learning of the profession, as the study time is not burdened by work. Another important feature is the possibility for students to study with peers who partake at training programmes of related professions. By helping each other, they can gain insights into the context of other professions and develop professional contacts that can help them to be successful in their future work. Of course, in addition to education, it is also important to experience good community life, for which the school has excellent facilities. A lot of hard work has gone into creating this tinsmithing training programme, but the work is not over yet, as the next challenge is to recruit students as well as to promote the profession. The newly launched tinsmithing training opportunities need to be publicised both in primary schools in the area and among young people who are about to start secondary school and their parents.

Successful team that passed the professional tinsmithing exam. Photo: CSZC József Szterényi Technical and Vocational School

Can such initiatives alleviate the shortage of skilled labour?

We all believe that quality education and training is the long-term solution to skills shortage. We hope that this cooperation will continue and that similar collaborations will be launched for other professions.

KJ