The transition from school to the professional world in a European comparison- Think outside the box!! Erasmus Project

Project Title

The transition from school to the professional world in a European comparison- Think outside the box!!

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Cooperation between educational institutions and business; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment

Project Summary

Context/ background; objectives of project:
One of the central positions of the school is to open the young people a successful step from the initial education system into further education and career paths. This is a prerequisite for sustainable processes of lifelong learning, which in turn form the basis for participation in economic, social and public life. The importance of professional orientation thus extends far beyond the economic dimension. It’s about Europe’s youth, and this is what makes our societies wealthy today and in the future! With this in mind, our partner schools decided on the planned project.

The professional orientation is taken very seriously at all partner institutions, but each school lives in its own “box”, that means, each one has made its own experiences, its own way of thinking and acting and is therefore to a certain extent “limited”. This project now offers both the pupils and the accompanying teachers the opportunity to use the European dimension as a framework and “look outside the box”, so to open each individual minds. The activities in the project meetings enable key competencies to be discovered, promoted and strengthened in a completely new framework. The students should take note of the fact that they live in different “boxes”, compare them and find that there are similarities and differences in the question of how the transition from school to work can be achieved. And not just in that regard, but basically in all areas of life. Either they feel certain things in the partner countries are better, or they learn to appreciate resources in their own country that they didn’t notice before.The experience will definitely be profitable! Reservations and inhibitions should be reduced and more tolerance and openness towards other cultures and the European professional world should be built up. In this context, the aim is symbolically to break open the “boxes”, or in other words, 4 small, self-contained “boxes” open into a large “box” with “holes”.

The fixed view of the companies on site at one partner school, or too few career opportunities at the other partner school, were also reasons for choosing the project. The students should get to know the variety of career opportunities in a European context and thus broaden their horizons.

Description of activities; methodology to be used in carrying out the project:
Since our project is a comparison with regard to the topic of professional orientation in the different countries, it is important to all of us that the projects in the respective countries are designed as authentically as possible. This means that no one digs into the other in terms of planning and implementation in his own country. The tasks or responsibilities are the same at all partner schools due to the direct comparison that is to be made. Each school has its own team to prepare, to oraganize etc.. The partner-schools act like consultants on demand. The following activities must be prepared by all partner schools so that they can be carried out with the guests.
– Workshop days (introductory exercises, career orientation lessons, etc.)
– companies must be selected and integrated
– cultural program should be created (optional)

Number and profile of participants:
The four schools involved in this project have a similar profile. All schools are general education schools in secondary level and all are more rural. But they differ in the focus on the subjects/ profiles. The project participants are 13-17 years old. 5 students and 2 accompanying persons from each school take part in the exchanges.

A short description of the results and impact envisaged and finally the potential longer term benefits:
– Results are published on a website for exchange and further development and also for the use of schools in general
– Pupils and teachers work with European partners, they live, work and communicate in other countries, thereby developing a transnational understanding
– Pupils are made aware of the value of the EU: it continues to grow together, from which they too can benefit in a very unbureaucratic and uncomplicated manner.
– Experiences that are presented on the website, the “Erasmus boards” and subsequent student presentations motivate further students to participate in student exchange programs and thus encourage them to be more open
– The teachers can include methods that have been experienced as positive in the curriculum

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 8000 Eur

Project Coordinator

Oberschule Eschhofschule Lemwerder & Country: DE

Project Partners

• INSTITUTO DE ENSEÑANZA SECUNDARIA SANTO DOMINGO
• Zakladna skola Sadova620 Senica
• Istituto d’istruzione superiore G.Careri-Oppido Mamertina