How it is to live, study and work in a foreign EU country Erasmus Project

Project Title

How it is to live, study and work in a foreign EU country

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

According to a report of the European Commission, an increase of one percentage point of apprenticeship has as a consequence an increase of 0.95% of the youth employment rate and a reduction of the unemployment rate of 0.8% (See. European Commission, Apprenticeship and Traineeship Schemes in the EU27: Key Success Factors, december 2013, p. 11).
Nine schools:
1) I.I.S.S “Ettore Majorana”, a general school located in Scordia, Italy, involved in lots of international project, coordinator.
2) Classical and artistic Liceo “Celio-Roccati” of Rovigo Italy.
2) Zespol Szkol nr. 4 w Leszniein in Leszno, Poland, vocational school.
3) IES Urola Ikastola Azkoitia-Azpeitia BHI, a general school in the Basque Country, Spain.
4) IES Santa Maria La Real a general school located in an old monastery in Castilla y León, Spain.
5) MTÜ 21 Sajandil Kool in Tallin, Estonia, an innovative smart Country.
6) Charlemagne College, General secondary school in Landgraaf, The Netherlands.
8) Tornion Yhteislyseon Lukio located in the administrative and business centre of the City of Tornio, Finland, right on the Swedish border.
9) Joyce Frankland Newport Academy, a co-educational mixed state school situated in rural Essex with over 1000 students aged 11-18.
The schools involved in the project, in agreement with the provisions of their institutional educational projects promoted the spirit of entrepreneurship as in the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action, communication of the European commission adopted in January 2013. In our project, every school group of students, investigated about the possibilities available at national, regional and local level in apprenticeship, in training, in higher apprenticeship (after graduation instead of the usual university) and University. The groups built relationships with local authorities, and local companies interested in partnerships with the school for apprenticeships or work-study projects. Every school organized a seminar with experts, entrepreneurs and local authorities to orientate the students for the transition from school to work and to encourage the spirit of self-employment and culture of enterprise in young people in accordance with the objectives of the EU. Each of the 9 schools chose a different topic for these conferences in order to widen our students’ knowledge.
Another aim of this project was to make our students aware of the importance of a well-informed decisions about apprenticeship and their post-graduate education. All schools already have career guidance for their pupils. However, we wanted to give this counselling an international dimension. As educational systems differ from one country to another, it is important for the prospective students to know about the different opportunities that are offered to them within Europe. These possibilities were not very well known to the pupils before the project.
The website http://www.ka2erasmus.net/ has not only collected all the materials processed but has been, is, and will be a guide for anyone wishing to make training experiences in apprenticeships or internships or alternating school work in the areas where the schools involved are located; for this motivation in every short term exchange the host school has presented the educational system of the country, made visits to companies and universities and organized conferences and activities to enhance the culture of enterprise and self- entrepreneurship. All visits to companies, public or private, were an excellent way to get to know the areas in which students could find opportunities for internship courses, internships, alternating training and apprenticeship training before or after graduation and also during and after the university courses. All organized conferences have been made with the presence of experts, managers and public authorities.
Before each mobility the involved students did already research on the legislation governing apprenticeships and training processes in alternating training in the country to visit. They also tried to know as much as possible on creating and management of enterprises and on recruitment procedures. After every short term exchange each group of students has created a storyboard and a report of the activities to be included on the website (www.ka2erasmus.net). The reports on the activities that have taken place in the areas in which each school is situated, have been published on a site dedicated, on the websites of each school and advertised through local media. Evaluations through questionnaires have been filled in by host families, host students, hosted students and teachers after each short term exchange (and transnational project meeting).
Last but not least during the students exchanges, the participants have been working together intensely after distributing the tasks related to the project. Since English is the lingua franca, practising this language was of course an important objective of the activities. Given the fact that

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 423820 Eur

Project Coordinator

II.SS Ettore Majorana Scordia & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Joyce Frankland Academy Newport
• LICEO STATALE CELIO-ROCCATI
• MTÜ Kool 21.sajandil
• Tornion yhteislyseon lukio
• IES UROLA IKASTOLA BHI
• Zespol Szkol nr. 4 w Lesznie
• Charlemagne College