Life and Work in Europe – Educational, opportunities, possibilities of migration and integration for adolescents Erasmus Project

Project Title

Life and Work in Europe – Educational, opportunities, possibilities of migration and integration for adolescents

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: Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment

Project Summary

The project’s foundational idea is based on recent discussions about the shortage of skilled workers and simultaneous youth unemployment (See Europe 2020: 75% of 20-to-64 year-olds are expected to be employed). Many young people are not interested in the careers which lack skilled workers in their own countries, meaning that freedom of movement within the European Union could help. However, this freedom of movement is limited by students’ fears. Getting to know individual job markets on location assuages participants’ reservations about joining companies or universities abroad. In order to effectively target against the shortage of skilled workers, participants are encouraged to complete their training or studies in their future country of employment. This precludes later problems with integration. Carrying out training or studies abroad is currently justified by the high level of youth unemployment in some participating countries, which can give youth here a sense of perspective.

Students are potentially interested in studying or working abroad, but at the same time they lack comprehensive information and exchange of experiences with young people from other countries. The end product of this project was an online video tutorial which included comprehensive information about the different application regulations and practical assistance for applications within individual countries.

The project was divided into 4 Moduls:
First module: Presentations on education systems and vocational training systems.
Students prepared a presentation which described the structure of their country’s education system and how studies and vocational training are organized. These presentations were prepared for the first joint conference. During the conference, vocational training systems were compared and their commonalities and differences were compiled on wall displays in cross-national working groups. All results were uploaded on the project homepage for public access.

Second module: Videos with students’ expectations of their career future in Europe.
In preparation for the second conference, participants produced short videos about their expectations and fears surrounding their career futures in Europe. Subsequently, these videos were analysed in groups from mixed countries according to the following criteria:
– Common characteristics between countries
– Country-specific prejudices
– Root causes of issues
– Bureaucratic obstacles
Afterwards, prejudices against respective partner countries were elicited through a card survey and either dismantled or confirmed on a second working day by each respective country in work groups. Results were compiled by documenting the card survey.

Third module: Exhibition stands organised by students with information about providers and facilities for study and training in participating countries and advertisements about starting a training or study programme in each respective participating country. Students collected information during the preparation phase via a questionnaire about how the job market is structured for young people in each respective country and which educational opportunities are offered by the higher education sector. Students prepared an overview of necessary degrees and fees for various well-known careers. Furthermore, the students investigated which careers their country provides particularly strong education in.

Fourth module: advice manual for applications to foreign countries, in particular the participating countries. By means of a fictional job posting, students prepared a checklist for applications in their country and produce a CV and cover letter according to country norms. These results were used in the final video tutorial, thus serving as an overview for applications in other European countries.

A multi-national advice online tutorial which presents the project’s aims could only be produced by participants from various nations. Specific country knowledge could only be provided by students from the respective countries. Only they knew the specific fears about training or studying abroad, and only they could present opportunities and compile information which is significant from their perspective.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 93630 Eur

Project Coordinator

Berufsbildende Schulen Soltau & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Kauno Varpo gimnazija
• Zonguldak Kozlu Anadolu Lisesi
• Zespol Szkol Ponadgimnazjalnych im. Marii Sklodowskiej-Curie w Olesnicy