3.5. Parents’ role in creating a “we”-approach in VET

As mentioned in chapter 1: Understanding negative baggage: Its impact on VET students and educators, negative baggage refers to the emotional burdens, past experiences, self-limiting beliefs, and unresolved issues that individuals carry with them. Parents play a vital role in enhancing a “we”-approach in VET and supporting their children to let go of any negative baggage they may carry with them. Here are some ways parents can get involved:

• Open Communication: Parents can establish open lines of communication with their children, actively discussing their concerns, fears, and expectations regarding VET and their studies. By listening attentively and offering guidance, parents can help their children address any negative experiences or emotions they may have.
• Encouragement and Support: Parents should provide consistent encouragement and support throughout their children’s VET journey. By expressing belief in their capabilities and emphasizing the value of teamwork and collaboration, parents can help foster a positive mindset and a “we”-approach among their children.
• Building Resilience: Parents can help their children develop resilience by teaching them how to cope with challenges and setbacks. By promoting a growth mindset and emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes, parents can help their children overcome any negative baggage and approach vocational education with a positive and determined attitude.
• Collaborating with Educators: Parents should actively engage with educators and vocational education institutions to stay informed about their child’s progress. By attending parent-teacher meetings, workshops, and school events, parents can develop a deeper understanding of the educational environment and support their child’s integration into the vocational education community.
• Encouraging Extracurricular Involvement: Parents can encourage their children to participate in extracurricular activities related to their vocational interests. By engaging in clubs, competitions, or volunteering opportunities, students can broaden their social networks, develop new skills, and build positive relationships with peers who share similar interests.
• Seeking Professional Guidance: If parents notice that their child is struggling with significant negative baggage, it may be beneficial to seek professional guidance, such as counselling or therapy. Professionals can provide specialized support and strategies to help students address and overcome any emotional or psychological barriers they may face in vocational education.

However, to be able to do this VET needs to promote the importance of involving and listening to parents concerns and opinions. VET might be an unfamiliar surrounding to some parents, and they might need guidance and introduction to the way the VET school is operating and working. By actively involving educational staff in the interaction with parents and providing support, encouragement, and guidance, parents can play a crucial role in enhancing the “we”-approach in vocational education and helping their children let go of negative baggage, enabling them to fully embrace the opportunities and experiences offered by vocational education.

Parents also run into the problem that they do not always understand the baggage of their growing children and do not know how to deal with it. Therefore, involve parents in the school and the education program. You can for example organize theme evenings within the school with parents, students, educators, and possibly external experts and / or organizations. Think of exchanging experiences that can help students drop negative baggage and the challenges their students might face during their studies. To give a concrete example, in Harderwijk Netherlands, they organize an annual pub crawl for parents where they gain insight into nightlife, alcohol and drug prevention. The aim of this pub crawl is to learn how do deal with your child when she/he reaches puberty.