The main objectives of the project were the following: - Providing opportunities for participants/VET students to acquire practical knowledge, skills, and competences; - Providing opportunities for participants/VET students to improve their chances of getting a job abroad; - Strengthening the link between formal and informal education, vocational training, employabilty, and entrepreneurship; - Acquiring internationally recognized and sought after competencies and internationally recognised certification; - Broadening students' horizons in order to develop and increase their intercultural competences and lifelong learning skills. Another set of objectives for students included the following: - Improving communication skills in a foreign language - Expanding awareness and understanding of the spectrum of different cultural and social perspectives and embracing alternative, innovative learning methods - Developing analytical and problem-solving skills. This was an opportunity for the students' both professional development and personal growth, which is not provided by traditional methods of education in school and cannot be acquired and/or implemented within the Serbia-based businesses, or local or in-house practicum training only.
Living and working in the EU while acquiring essential skills and competences through informal education is a valuable experience that cannot be substituted with formal education in a VET school in a non-EU country. The main reason to apply for this project was to provide opportunities for our students to experience the training placement in Germany, and the lifestyle and cultural heritage of the EU citizens as well. The analysis of the school's European Development Plan showed weak points in the school's curriculum, inapplicable in real working scenarios, lack of students' learning experiences regarding training as European citizens and developing life skills. Another reason was exposing the students to the working process, lifestyle and culture of the EU country, adding a European dimension to their education. Consequently, the final result was application of new knowledge, skills and competences that will help them in their future professions and life while reevaluating their future choices, the results being improved intercultural communication, quality of real-life work competences contributing to the internationalization of school, establishing contacts with foreign partners, and developing examples of good practice.