European Possibilities Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Possibilities

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: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); Creativity and culture; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment

Project Summary

Our Project “European Possibilities” (EP) focused on developing basic and transversal skills using innovative methods. It was planned, improved and developed over time with great enthusiasm and willingness to collaborate from all involved partners. The idea of the project took its origins from the successful Comenius project, where teachers from Germany, Denmark and Latvia decided to continue working on preparing students for successful, beneficial work life after leaving school, taking in consideration the great results of the previous project, particularly the rise of students’ motivation to study more seriously, gaining more experience in international communication, which requires knowledge of English and skills for using IT. During the meetings we clearly saw the benefits of visiting partner schools, for it gives a clear insight of current situation in various parts of Europe.

Unfortunately, the perspectives for successful career for young people nowadays are not satisfying, early school leaving remains at unacceptable levels in too many Member States, such as Spain, one of our partners’ country, with 26.5%. It is highly necessary that we thought about appropriate solutions, taking in considerations that there is significant evidence of underperformance in other areas: “73 million adults have only a low level of education; nearly 20% of 15 year olds lack sufficient skills in reading; and participation in lifelong learning is only 8.9%. By 2020, 20% more jobs will require higher level skills. Education needs to drive up both standards and levels of achievement to match this demand, as well as encourage the transversal skills needed to ensure young people are able to be entrepreneurial and adapt to the increasingly inevitable changes in the labour market during their career. “ (www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/com669_en.pdf)

The aim of our project was contributing in finding such a solution. At the end of the project, we created a leaflet “European Possibilities” and a website (https://europeanpossibilities.wordpress.com/), where we inform about the project. Many results can be seen on our Project Card on the EACS Website- https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/projects/eplus-project-details/#project/2015-1-DE03-KA219-013695 – mainly information about required knowledge, workshops to develop skills, to find a vocational choice, future plans, see what we have done in our meetings, advice for Project work in our schools, helpful documents like the Risk Management. The information will be useful for teachers, students, and society, interested in the issue.

We had a wide range of participants in our project, carefully selected by each partner school -students, teachers, parents and relatives, school providers and local authorities, European offices, parent associations, local companies, artists, etc.; In order to reach the aims of our project, we included different kinds of activities. We had workshops about different skills, art and craft; we visited various companies – industries, vocational schools, had social events, we met local authorities to learn about current situation and career options. All this means covering such issues as knowledge and information about basic and transversal skills, ways of vocational choice, job hunting and making future plans, skills in job hunting, continuing education opportunities in the craftsmanship trade.

As a result of our work we described new ideas, didactic and methodical teaching materials, tutorials and a project plan that is a great help for teachers and tutors in preparing our students for much better perspectives in their after-school life.

The project gave great benefit to students, in context of nowadays situation and our everyday life, we hope to have given our students the attainment to stay in school and have more perspectives to find a good job after graduation. Teachers, responsible for providing students with necessary knowledge and understanding the situation, should be better equipped now with a good base of knowledge about other school systems, training systems and “European Possibilities”, which can help them to improve their own job and give the opportunity to help their colleagues, sharing the gained experience.

A well prepared EP-leaflet becomes a useful source of necessary information for our students, for teachers and became a way to find perspectives for the future: pupils can find possibilities in labour market, teachers can get new input for their lessons and suggestions for creative and successful teaching.

Participating in the project work gave the students more motivation for raising language competences, students and teachers fostered the mobility of students and improved the employability of the European workforce. Our pupils could gain some insight in business, so that later they can become entrepreneurs.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 187090 Eur

Project Coordinator

Staatliche Realschule Bobingen & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Scuola elementare – Osnovna sola Dante Alighieri Isola Izola
• Copenhagen Euro School
• Publiczne Gimnazjum w Trzydniku Duzym
• Colegio Pureza de María
• Valmieras 2.vidusskola