Die HLW Wolfsberg ist eine berufsbildende höhere Schule, deren Schülerinnen zwischen dem dritten und vierten Jahrgang ein dreimonatiges Pflichtpraktikum absolvieren müssen. Dies ist Voraussetzung dafür, dass sie gegen Ende des 4. Jahrgangs zur Prüfung aus Küche und Service bzw. im darauffolgenden Jahr zur Matura antreten dürfen. Fremdsprachen sind ebenfalls ein Muss an unserer Schule. Englisch und Italienisch sind für alle Schülerinnen verpflichtende Gegenstände; für diejenigen, die den Sprachenzweig besuchen, steht auch Französisch am Stundenplan. Aus diesen Gründen ist die Teilnahme am Erasmus+ Projekt für jede einzelne Schülerin eine großartige Gelegenheit, bereits in der Schule erworbenes Wissen in die Praxis umzusetzen, dieses in ausgewählten Tourismusbetrieben zu erweitern und neue Praktiken mit nachhause bzw. an die Schule zu nehmen. Zusätzlich sollen die PraktikantInnen lernen, auf eigenen Füßen zu stehen, Probleme selbstständig zu lösen und für sich selbst Verantwortung zu übernehmen. Weitere Ziele sind, die Kultur und die Menschen eines anderen Landes kennenzulernen, weltoffener zu werden und die Chancen am Jobmarkt zu steigern. Dies aber auch die Bereitschaft zur Mobilität wird ihnen bei ihrer zukünftigen Berufswahl von Vorteil sein. Last but not least, nachdem im Leitbild der Schule die Einbettung der Aktivitäten in einen internationalen Kontext besonders hervorgehoben wird, war es der Schule respektive dem Projektteam, ein großes Anliegen, so vielen Schülerinnen als möglich eine Teilnahme am Projekt zu ermöglichen. Zusätzlich sollten zwei Lehrkräfte an einem Jobshadowing in Kroatien teilnehmen und so ihre praktischen Kenntnisse im Bereich Rezeption und Küche/Service erweitern. Dies sollte im weiteren Sinne den Schülerinnen zugutekommen, d.h. neue Techniken sollten erlernt werden bzw. dadurch auch die Vorbereitung der SchülerInnen auf ein Auslandspraktikum optimiert werden. Das Falkensteiner Resort in Zadar als neuer Kontakt hatte sich dafür angeboten.
Partners from Austria, Iceland, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Great Britain and 22 students aged between 16 and 18 from the vocational college in Wolfsberg (in short HLW) were involved in the project entitled "Arbeite, lerne – erkunde Europa". For the first time in school history and due to Covid 19, it was carried out as a two-year project. This means that in the summer of 2020 only 2 out of the planned 17 participated in the project, whereas in the following year 20 out of the planned 25 third-grade students took part in the Erasmus+ project supported by the European Union. They were all eligible to take part in the Erasmus+ programme because 21 of them had to do a three-month compulsory placement between the third and the fourth year of our school to be allowed to sit the final exams two years later. That´s why their school year ended at the end of May and started again on the first Monday in October. They had to do their compulsory training within these four months. In addition, there was one girl who did a two-month placement abroad because her compulsory one was canceled the year before due Corona. During their placements abroad, students wanted to practise, strengthen as well as to enlarge their practical as well as theoretical knowledge, which they had acquired in the first three years at our school. Furthermore, within this project, students were given the chance to get to know a country and its people which they might not have known at all or only from a short holiday. Another important aim was to improve their language skills by making use of what they already knew, internalizing it and expanding their vocabulary, etc. The latter was supported by the OLS, the Online Linguistic Support. Which skills were to be focused on, was put down in the Learning Agreements in accordance with teachers, employers, and students. During the training period (visits, reports from students and mentors), that is, afterwards - the achievement of these goals was checked. Additional ECVET aspects included in the project were: Personal Transcript and Memorandum of Understanding which are usually signed in the course of visits to the respective countries. In addition, questionnaires in which partners are assessed by students, were handed out. Taking part in this project was useful for the students in many respects. By working in foreign countries, they could consolidate, brush up and enlarge their practical as well as their language skills, thus, significantly increasing their chances on the job market. A further important aspect was that with the help of the Erasmus Plus project, the students cracked prejudices, became more open-minded and tolerant. And last but not least, the participants became acquainted with the advantages of being mobile at an early age. The results of the project were published in local and regional newspapers, the school website, the yearbook, on FB, Insta, etc. Moreover, experienced project participants passed their knowledge on to students who were thinking of going abroad in the following year at informative events not only at school but also outside of it.