In coping with the requirements of both working systems (ours and the foreign ones) the apprentices as well as the staff involved should be promoted in finding their own cultural and personal identity, vocation and awareness of the various foundations and procedures of the participating vocational education and work systems. The work experience gained was destined to enrich and feed their impulses and knowledge being passed on to their current teams and institutions. We intended them to perceive a growth in their professional, communicative and intercultural competencies as well as in their self-esteem and courage to operate on the national and international job market. As a further contribution for this end we intended to send 4 teachers to our partner schools in Bilbao, Rome and Pontoise / Versailles for 3-day job shadowings to learn about their institutional concepts of quality management and to initiate learning projects in their respective fields of VET, in general higher education as well as in preparations for student exchanges.
As an accredited European vocational college (recertified 2021) it has been our continual aspiration to increase the formal and non-formal competencies of our apprentices, teachers and partner organisations with regard to their suitablility for the international job market through their participation in this project. Therefore 'Getting fit for Europe' is our chosen device. We are convinced that the growth of international work and learning experience correlates with intercultural, vocational competence and expertise of all participants and their respective institutions. Together with our cooperating partner organisations abroad we have been researching for improvements in working procedures, transparency and quality-assuring measurements on the basis of mutual understanding and the recognition of learning outcomes. We have been doing this since 2010. By networking with our constant, trustworthy and new partner organisations we hope to obtain furtherleading knowhow for a sustainable school development as well as for the recognition of our vocational college as an attractive provider of VET among prospective students and teachers.