Our aim was to enhance the employability prospects of our students by providing them with firsthand experience in a real multilingual work environment. Additionally, we sought to familiarize them with the working dynamics of other countries, especially those sharing similar tourist orientations to ours. Our objective was for students to gain new professional knowledge and enhance their proficiency in foreign languages. Through exposure to diverse cultures, customs, and exemplary practices, we aimed to empower students to actively pursue various roles within the tourism sector upon completion of their education. This, in turn, would positively impact their competitiveness in the job market. Our experience thus far indicates that international cooperation and participation in such projects yield positive transformations in the working environment.
Students of the Hotel and Tourism School in Zagreb are being educated to work in various roles within the tourism industry. A mandatory part of the curriculum includes professional practice, which entails 182 hours of hands-on experience outside the school premises, encompassing work in catering and hotel facilities as well as tourist agencies. Recognizing the international nature of the tourism sector, we have identified the necessity for students to acquire skills for working in an international environment. To address this need, we have designed the HOskills project. Aligned with the objectives of Erasmus+ programs aimed at enhancing the quality and performance of vocational education and training through increased mobility duration for learners, we aim to implement mobility activities that cover the entirety of the internship hours outlined in the curriculum. Furthermore, we perceive a need for our school to embrace internationalization, thereby staying abreast of new European trends in our field. Consequently, this project represents our initial step in this direction.