One of the main goals was that more students would practice working skills, strengthen knowledge and learn new things through vocational training abroad. After completed internship, students who had participated would share experiences and acquired knowledge in our own organization as well as to others interested. Another goal was that students who had never participated in international activities would get the opportunity to do so. We wanted all our students to be able to develop and learn in contexts and environments other than the usual. We wanted to give our students the opportunity for personal development as well as better working skills. Our goal for the students has been to increase their various skills and thus become more employable after completed studies. A further goal was that more of the staff would participate in activities such as job shadowing. As professional development in their working field. As quality assurance of our own organization. Even in these cases knowledge would be disseminated further internally and externally after completed activities. In addition to all this, we wanted to keep the valuable contacts we had with vocational partners outside school, and to strengthen our mutual international ties.
We applied for the project because we wanted to give our students the opportunity to participate in vocational training abroad. We also wanted to offer teachers or supervisors job shadowing in other countries as a form of further education. Through these mobilities, we wanted to contribute to the school's quality assurance, as well as to the participants' personal and professional development. Many of our students have never participated in international activities. Even fewer have been outside Sweden's borders. Their families have not had the financial means for such activities. We are a large municipal vocational school with a limited budget. Without EU funds, it would be impossible for us to pay for internships abroad. Only students from wealthy homes would then be able to participate in such exchanges. Thus, equality was an additional reason for our application. We want to give all students the same opportunities to knowledge exchanges abroad. We also wanted that the activities would strengthen our international ties. We have previously participated in Erasmus+ projects and have several excellent partners in Europe. We wanted to continue working with these partners even in the future within vocational exchanges of knowledge.