We aimed at enabling our students to gain an excellent mobility experience and help them upgrade their speaking abilities in English. We worked hard to broaden their horizons to the extent so that foreign languages are no longer a problem but a challenge, we wanted them to understand the notion of multicultural existence and be able to live among/with different people, help them adapt to intergenerational environment. We wanted to encourage the use of their professional skills in foreign work environment and gain new professional skills (mostly entrepreneurial and digital competences), including generic ones that are becoming increasingly sought after by employers. It is necessary they became aware of the importance of lifelong as well as intergenerational learning and training as Europe offers excellent opportunities for international cooperation, networking and exchange of expertise. Student mobility experience has so far immensely contributed to their strengthened self-confidence, improved self-worth as well as their linguistic, intercultural and digital skills. In majority we are developing entrepreneurial skills but as we also have other programmes, all students have been involved in the project to ensure equal opportunities.
Consortium of Schools of Economics of Eastern Slovenia (member schools: Celje School of Economics, Grammar School Celje – Center, Murska Sobota School of Economics, Secondary School of Economics and Grammar School Maribor, Secondary School Slovenj Gradec and Muta, Novo mesto School of Economics) formed partnership with partners in Spain, Ireland, Malta and Portugal for the purpose of collaborating in the mobility project for our secondary school students from five of our regions that was supposed to take place from June 2020 until June 2021 but had to be extended due to force majeure (COVID-19) so that we were able to carry out all the planned mobilities. We were aiming at organising work placements for 109 of our secondary vocational and technical school students as well as those of grammar school of economics for a period of 2 or 3 weeks respectively depending on their programme. The duration of their work placements was adjusted to their curricula.