Střední průmyslová škola school was founded in 1883 and celebrated its 130 years anniversary nine years ago. Its name and fields of study have been changing over the years, however the tradition of technical education in Rakovník has never been interrupted. Recently it is named after one of the most important personalities in the Czech industry, a businessman and inventor in the field of machinery and electrotechnics, Ing. Dr.h.c. Emil Kolben, who died during the Second World War in a detention camp. Nowadays education is given in six fields of full-time study. There are 3 fields of graduation study – Information Technology, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering - and 3 fields of
apprenticeship – Electrician for power applications, Metal machinist and Mechanic-fitter. The graduates of all the fields are really demanded, without almost any unemployment.

The total number of the students is 319 and it has been constantly increasing. Our cooperation with companies has been a traditional part of our activity. Our partners are especially
big regional employers: Procter & Gamble Rakona (chemical production), Valeo (air-conditioning and other car parts), ČEZ (owner of power plants and lines), Lasselsberger (Rako tiles), Eberspächer (exhaust systems), Nexen (automotive) and Jablotron (security devices). Apart from this we have been cooperating with a lot of smaller firms for a long time. The above-mentioned companies enable practice of our students, provide scholarship to many of them and they also participate as donors of the school equipment. Forms of cooperation has been still developing and enriching, the interest of the firms has been growing, which is determined by the fast development of industry in our region. We cooperate with the Electrotechnical Faculty of ČVUT Prague and The University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. We are also a member organization of Autodesk Academy.

Our school is in close relationship with 6 basic schools and provide lessons, excursions and technical courses for them as well as workshops for their teachers. Our school takes part in many projects focused on improving the quality of teaching and equipment. Besides others there is an international project “EDU-Play 4.0” in which we cooperate with other European countries. We successfully finished some other Erasmus+ projects, such as “EU Energy eStory” (focused on sustainable energies), “Active Agents for Embracing Diversity” (ensuring successful education especially for disabled students) and “Refugees Crisis – Approaching the Next Day (as answer to migration crisii in 2014-2015). Many other projects have been managed, as “A Contemporary Teacher of the 21st century” in cooperation with ČVUT Prague, “On the way of natural and technical science through the Central Bohemia” and “Implementation of Regional Action Plan” administrated by the Regional Office. Thereunder we have built new laboratories of electrical measurement and automation, 3D classroom, modern CNC machines workshop, computer and language classrooms etc. etc. Our social network has been also widely spread. Every year we organize events to help endangered groups of citizens – people with low incomes and, during last year, families coming from Ukraine.

The protection of the environment is not neglected either. The Rakovník’s high technical school is as one of the few in the Czech Republic a proud holder of the “Global Action Schools” Central Bohemia School of Sustainable Development” certificates.