Working in the European Union and the importance of cross cultural business behaviour Erasmus Project

Project Title

Working in the European Union and the importance of cross cultural business behaviour

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; Cooperation between educational institutions and business; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

The main objectives of the project ‘Working within the European Union and the importance of intercultural business behaviour’ is that the students should be encouraged to apply for a workplace or a university place in a foreign country. The participating students should reflect their own plans and wishes for their future but also get to know those of the partner students. The participants should figure out requirements of working abroad and what authorities can be consulted for help. An additional objective is to get to know a foreign education system, a foreign economy and a different culture as well as making new friends. The students exchange will improve the knowledge of a foreign language and they will gain personal experience in a foreign country.

The partners are the BHAK Korneuburg in Austria, a business secondary college, and the Agrupamento de Escolas Marcelino Mesquita do Cartaxo in Portugal. Both schools provide business and vocational education. 45 students are selected to take part in this project. The participants are 16 to 19 years old. There are 2 teachers from each school who are in charge of this project.
Activities and methodology:
– The main activity is the students exchange (stay in Austria and stay in Portugal), which is prepared and evaluated in both schools within the student’s lessons.
– A survey about plans for the future and wishes of the youth is organised and run in both schools. A questionnaire will be designed, carried out and analysed. The results are presented to the other school and to the public.
– The students have to organise interviews with people working, studying or living abroad. An interview guideline has to be developed and interviews have to be carried out. The results are presented to the partners and as well as the public.
– Additionally the students attend company visits and presentations of business topics and interculturall business behaviour to get to know the foreign economy system and labor market.
– To experience differences between the cultures the participants take part in sightseeing tours and a culture and social programm is organised as well.

The following results or impacts envisaged are expected:
– A questionnaire about plans for the future and wishes of the youth and its analysis.
– An interview guideline with people working, studying or living in a foreign country and a presentation of the summary of the results
– Summaries of the company presentations, interviews with experts, company visits and Europass
– cultural and personal experience the participants got through the visit and sightseeing tours as well as thourgh the cultural programm
– improved foreign language skills
– new friends

The potential longer term benefit for the participating students is:
– possibility to get to know a foreign school- and education-system and to collect important experience of staying in a foreign country
During the project they acquire knowledge regarding:
– how to prepare for a work placement or studying abroad
– how does the Austrian and Portugese economy and labor market work
– how important is intercultural business behaviour
– how to design a questionnaire
– how to create an interview handbook

The participants learn about foreign cultures and traditions so that they become more open minded and tolerant
All activities help to improve the knowledge and practice of the world language English
The students are encouraged to apply for a work placement or university place in a foreign country after graduation, so they will have more chances to find a job in domestic companies. So this project will help to lower the unemployment rate of young adults.
All acitivities will help to find intertnational friends and they will gain valuable social experiences.
Going abroad should improve the students’ independence and self-confidence.

The sustainable benefit for the teachers involved is that they learn about different school and education systems and that there is the possibility for an educational exchange between the partner schools. Teachers will acquire teaching techniques which they will apply in their lessons. Additionally the teachers will be motivated to organise new European projects. The general public will get informed about the results of the project, the perception of the schools will be improved and new students might be attracted in the future.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 47376,69 Eur

Project Coordinator

BHAK Korneuburg & Country: AT

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas Marcelino Mesquita do Cartaxo