The basis, goals and results of the establishment of the school

The Pärnu German School of Technology was a private vocational education institution owned by Germans from 2001 to 2025, the foundation for which was laid by the signing of a cooperation agreement on July 2, 1999 between the Königs Wusterhausen Technology and Vocational Education Center and the Pärnu City Government Education Department. The school was a subsidiary of the Stiftung Bildung und Handwerktütarorganization of the Federal Republic of Germany in Estonia. After 25 years of successful work, the German side, in view of the school’s success, decided to sell the company to its founder and director Indrek Alekõrre, who is now the sole shareholder of the Estonian owner of the school, OÜ Pärnu Tehnikahariduskeskus. All relations will continue in the same way.

The partners’ goal was cooperation between Estonia and Germany in the field of vocational education. The agreement provided for the possibility of establishing a German educational institution in Estonia. The subsequent conceptual work lasted until November 2000. During this period, agreements in principle were made with the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Estonia and the Pärnu City Government, which allowed the school to open on September 1, 2001. The construction and school furnishings were financed by the German partners Königs Wusterhausen Technology and Vocational Education Center and the Bildung und Handwerk foundation. For this purpose, the company Pärnu Tehnikahariduskeskus OÜ was established in January 2001. The company organized the design and preparation for the opening of the school. The Pärnu City Government concluded a building and property law agreement. Today, it supports the school in accordance with the Private Schools Act.

From the point of view of the school’s creators, such an additional path to acquiring education should expand the possibilities of vocational education and future employment in the Pärnu region. The aim of the activities of the Pärnu German School of Technology is to provide modern, modular vocational level training and further training. Upon graduation, state certificates of completion of post-secondary vocational education are awarded. The studies are paid or free of charge in the case of state orders. Students have various state benefits, including student loans and grants.

The school is oriented towards European quality criteria and experiences. The curricula are based on national curricula and vocational standards. European innovation in vocational training is related to international cooperation networks and programs. Since the beginning of its activities, the Pärnu German School of Technology has sought cooperation with companies, business associations and other schools.

Since 2016, the school has been organizing workplace-based training, which strengthens ties with companies both in Estonia and Germany. In this form of study, 1/3 of the study time is spent at school and 2/3 at work.

Key milestones in 25 successful years of operation

• 3,669 students have graduated from the Pärnu German School of Technology in the field of formal education or continuing education.
• Longer-term training areas have been information technology, accounting, business management, audiovisual media, automation, and electricity and energy.
• Since 2006, the Pärnu German School of Technology has been actively implementing multi-month foreign internships in Germany under the Leonardo da Vinci program (now Erasmus+). This is an annual activity and the school’s projects have always received funding. The school has solid foreign partners in Germany and Austria. In 2014, the school’s application project was recognized as the best, achieving 98 percent out of 100. The school has also been a host organization for trainees from Europe.
• With the European Union Innovation Transfer project led by the Pärnu German School of Technology, the school opened the First Estonian Entrepreneurship and Accounting Training Company in 2009–2011, following the example of Germany (partner Tbz Königs-Wusterhausen) and Austria (partners Klagenfurt University of Applied Sciences and the School of Commerce), which fully fulfills the functions of a practice base in this field. This is a simulation method for learning accounting that is well-known and recognized in Europe and around the world.
• In the next European Union Innovation Transfer project led by our school in 2012–2014, the school developed an extended entrepreneurship curriculum for students in technical fields and tested it simultaneously in three countries, analyzed it and made a summary. It will now be implemented in all school curricula. The partners were schools in Germany and Austria and Tallinn University of Applied Sciences.
• At present, the school is leading the Erasmus+ project Designer e-learning project for people with physical disabilities, offering advanced training in the designer profession. This is done together with foreign partners from Austria and Germany.
• Pärnu German School of Technology is a member of the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce. The school has had working ties with German ambassadors in Estonia for a long time.
• The school opened its own unit – the German Digital School, which offers paid digital advanced training.
• The school offers in-service training, which is ordered by the state, free of charge. Our good cooperation partner is the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
• The school has good and efficient staff and motivated students. The Quality Agency has assessed the school’s work with indefinite level education permits.
• The school has received Erasmus+ accreditation until 2027. In addition to Germany, there are internships in Italy and Portugal.e people’s attitude towards vocational training as a relevant category when it comes to acquiring a profession.