The BBS Meppen sought to strengthen its weakly developed European profile. International work experiences of its students as well as the continuing education and job shadowings of its teachers were not only meant to enhance the school’s attractiveness but were also meant to enhance the attractiveness of following trainings and apprenticeships in local businesses. By means of firm, European partnerships, and thereby enabled mobilities, the BBS Meppen sought to support its students and teachers in thinking naturally in European and global terms. The goal was the expansion of international competence by broadening the intercultural, foreign-language, professional and personal competences of those involved in vocational education. Medium-term goal was also the implementation of the additional qualification “European Clerk“.
The BBS Meppen identified the aspect of internationalisation as being of high importance, not just in general but also for businesses in rural regions, and characterised its own European profile as being too weakly developed. One aimed at putting students and teachers in a position of thinking naturally in terms of European and global interdependencies. The necessity of development in said area was also seen because of one’s geographical proximity to the Netherlands. In partaking in the Erasmus project, the BBS Meppen saw the opportunity to underline the necessity of occupational mobility and flexibility and the opportunity to enhance the European idea. Partaking in the project was also undertaken since, in our opinion, a sustainable capacity to act in international contexts is hard to achieve in the usual educational context. Furthermore, the BBS Meppen identified international work experiences of its students as well as the continuing education and job shadowings of its teachers as an opportunity to increase the attractiveness of its own profile, thus, enhancing the attractiveness of following trainings and apprenticeships in local businesses.