Based on the perceived needs in the field of internationalisation and quality development in the consortium, the schools SEŠ Ljubljana, SEPŠ Koper and SETŠ Nova Gorica, which implement the secondary vocational programme Economic Technician, have set themselves five objectives that we wanted to achieve with the Diverse and United without Borders (DUB) project: 1. to increase the number of mobility participants by promoting work-based learning and to raise and broaden outstanding professional competences and facilitate the transition of young people to the labour market. 2. to strengthen and increase self-initiative and entrepreneurship to create a career portfolio 3. to develop and strengthen intercultural competences for a quality life in a common European area 4. to acquire, develop and extend language skills in English, Spanish and Portuguese 5. to promote sustainable education in the professional and personal fields
The Secondary School of Economics Ljubljana (SEŠLJ), the Secondary School of Economics and Business Koper (SEPŠ) and the Secondary School of Economics and Commerce, School centre Nova Gorica (SETŠ) have applied for the Diverse and United without Borders (DUB) project to continue the cooperation we started with the project Reducing Distances, Increasing Knowledge KA1-VET-33/18. In 2018, the schools joined a consortium as we identified common needs in the field of quality development and internationalisation across the three schools delivering the Economic Technician programme. Our needs are to raise our students' outstanding vocational competences for better employability, to develop entrepreneurship and self-initiative, to improve language competences and to strengthen cultural awareness and expression. We want to give students their first work experience in the European labour market, empower them with skills to help them develop their own professional competences, by acquiring specific competences and soft skills. We want students to experience what it means to be a foreigner in another country, to encounter a different culture and customs, to speak a different language, to adapt and get used to a new environment where you know no one. Individuals develop empathy for their fellow human beings best when they have first-hand experience.