The ECP European Development Plan defines an action strategy based on three pillars and we consider that the implementation of this project allowed to achieve them, as described below. 1) Internationalisation process of the school. In a context of increasing globalization, Internationalization has become one of the pillars of action of the Oporto Trade School (OTC), recognized in its Basic Document and Educational Project. Thus, the need arose to create a document that systematizes the international dimension of the action of this institution, the present Internationalization Strategy. The project exceeded our expectations in the objectives of: - consolidate and diversify our partnership network, and thus increase and improve the quality and volume of mobilities (58 in KA1 and 63 in KA2 ); - to contribute to a better strategic positioning of the school in relation to its counterparts - consolidating previously established transnational partnerships, through personal contact on staff mobilities that formed privileged moments for discussion and planning of future cooperations, resulting in the renewal of partnerships in our school's new KA1 (Be My Guest 3.0). - Expansion of our network of partners through contact with new institutions and/or the sharing of contacts and the dissemination of this project, materialized in: the inclusion of 5 new host destinations in the new KA1 and in these, multiple host institutions to carry out internships/jobshadowing; the interest of international companies and institutions in, in the future, hosting new trainees. 2) Development of actions that allow the acquisition of competences centred on the students. We consider that this pillar was also achieved by contributing to: - the increase of technical, cultural, linguistic, social and relational skills of our students, thus contributing to the improvement of their school results, especially of the participants, and, consequently, of their self-esteem and employability; - the fight against failure and school abandonment, as the possibility of having an international experience worked as a motivational factor for the improvement of the attitude and interest of trainees towards the school and the increase of the modular execution rate; - their proximity to and knowledge of the European Union, which increased their receptiveness in exercising their European citizenship rights - the increase in the valuing of difference and the promotion of social inclusion, as well as in their social, relational, adaptability and tolerance skills and in their openness to live and work in different contexts from those they already knew, with people of different nationalities, religions, sexual orientation, gender and age, visible in the interest in studying/working abroad and in the increasing number of applications and requests for information; 3) Development of actions to enable the acquisition of competencies focused on teaching staff. The staff activities and the dissemination to the remaining colleagues allowed expanding the knowledge of differentiated teaching methodologies and pedagogical practices, with quality and innovation by the teaching class, enhancing - the awareness of the teaching community and management bodies to create stimulating and pedagogically rich and diverse spaces as new spaces for sharing (such as, for example, the new "wall of projects" or the change in the organisation of weekly planning); - the approximation of the training context to the transnational business reality, resulting in the reformulation of the professional aptitude tests that took on a more practical and real dimension, approved by our stakeholders in Consultative Councils to promote employability and the development of the region's commerce - understanding the importance of technological modernisation both through the use of ICT by students in the classroom and by the teachers themselves, namely through contact with STEAM methodologies and technology-integrating schools - reflection on the way in which the project methodology is developed by our school and on the potential for cooperation with the local community; - the teachers' linguistic and cultural competences, and therefore their sensitivity to what is new, responding to the individual needs of learners and their diversity.
Escola de Comércio do Porto recognises international mobility as one of the most successful mechanisms in preparing its students to work and live in an increasingly globalised world, as well as in the acquisition or consolidation of transversal skills, namely: mastery of foreign languages, autonomy, initiative, intercultural sensitivity and international awareness. The transformation that occurs in the way the trainees look at their professionalism is deeply embodied by their experience. Furthermore, the mobility of trainees and teaching and non-teaching staff is a key element in our school's internationalisation policy and in its strategy of developing human resources and promoting employability, which is especially fragile among young people. Finally, the Oporto School of Commerce considers internationalisation as a key aspect in the promotion of the quality of its teaching projects and in the development of disciplinary or technical areas that need more innovation. It is in this context that we continue to develop the mobility project "Be My Guest - training abroad", which through internship activities, training and jobshadowing for trainees and teachers, continues to reveal a positive impact on the academic, personal, cultural and professional path of participating trainees, enriching them with different techniques and methodologies in the respective vocational area, making them more fluent in the foreign language, facilitating their insertion in the labour market and/or offering them career opportunities, transforming them into more active citizens who are more aware of cultural diversity and the importance of belonging to a European citizenship, giving the trainees a sense of belonging and an understanding of what it really means to be a European citizen. As far as the staff and the institution it represents are concerned, their participation resulted in the acquisition of new and more innovative teaching methodologies which, in turn, will contribute to the policy of quality and internationalisation followed by the school. We anticipate that, on a macro level, this project, the learning achieved and its results will have notable and tangible effects on the local and national companies that are partners of the school and other national and international companies that will be the place of work of the trainees who have completed their academic training at our school.