My Way- Our Future Erasmus Project

Project Title

My Way- Our Future

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

Career orientation programmes at the three academic secondary schools involved in Germany and Estonia are constantly adapted to the need of the participants.
Teachers wanted to equip the future university students and employees with skills and competences which prepare them for the challenges of the modern-day business and working world in Europe. As a result, modified career orientation programmes have been designed to enable pupils to make the right choices for their future focussing on their individual needs and abilities.
The future employers and universities also have to consider the individual expectations and ideals (for example: work-life-balance) of their future students and employees to initiate positive changes in the world of work for all, enhancing the impulse of social entrepreneurship. This aspect was also included in the project.

The target group of the project “My way-our future” were pupils aged 15-18 in both schools who shared their ideas and concepts together with their teachers and non-school partners from universities and local companies in the different regions (both rural and metropolitan).
An important element of this European exchange was the use of the different modern languages (English and German) studied in the partner schools to promote language learning and mobility focussing on our common future in the single market.

To launch the project, the teachers from the partner schools met to share the specific aspects of career orientation in their respective countries which had already been established. Permanent sources of information such as careers offices or advisors and specific careers events (forums, information evenings etc.) were incorporated in the project.

Focal points of the project:

-A joint workshop of pupils and teachers on innovative decision-making techniques organized und scientifically supported by the University of Bayreuth taught the skills which are needed to make the right choices. This Workshop was later followed by another workshop for Year 12 of the German School and representatives of the Estonian school, who later organized a similar workshop at their own school.

-In a second step the pupils were given the opportunity for open discussion with representatives from local companies, organisations and universities offering all parties the opportunity to exchange and learn from each other. Here, we pursued and developed a format in which pupils train via simulations and role play including mock applications and job interviews at local companies for real life situations. HR students from Hochschule Ludwigshafen cooperated with the German school and at the same time learnt how to conduct job interviews gaining first-hand experience for their future profession. As Estonian students, who had written their CVs and letters of application in English, also took part in this part of the project, the workshops, mock interviews and discussions were in English, giving the students from Ludwigshafen University the experience of working for an international company.

– In a visit to a political branch in Brussels the students summed up their experiences in the decision-making process and the results of the encounters with stakeholders from local companies in statements and questionnaires. This gave the pupils the chance to express their wishes and ideas so that they were able to understand that they, as European citizens, can put forward their ideas allowing better social interaction and actively shape the world of work in Europe.

The desired result of the project is that pupils are able to make considered and long-lasting choices in their professional orientation process. As they also have had practical experience of using a foreign language to communicate during international events they are able and motivated to apply to study or work abroad or to choose a career path of great value for the development of their own region.

All the material, resources and results produced in the course of the Project have been made available not only to the partner school but to other schools and also stakeholders if they are interested (universities, companies, careers offices or advisors) through the schools’ websites for download so that they can find examples of good practice to improve their career orientation programmes.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 48135 Eur

Project Coordinator

Friedrich-Magnus-Schwerd-Gymnasium Speyer & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Lycée Général et TechnologiqueErnest Perochon
• Saaremaa Ühisgümnaasium