Aims of the project: 1) Enhance the internationalisation of the maritime professions and relevance to European standards; 2) Improve the practical training of prospective navigating officers and ship engineers; 3) Enhance cooperation between schools and enterprises within the industry in Europe; 4) Organise practice placements and training periods in relevant schools and enterprises; 5) Enhance the cultural education of students and teachers; 6) Improve foreign language skills of students and teachers, thus strengthening their position in the labor market; 7) Give the students insight into the small business management within the boat sector; 8) Improve the teachers’ performance by introducing updated methods and class materials. Widen the horizons by introducing differences of the education systems in different European countries.
RTU Latvian Maritime Academy’s Maritime Vocational School is a vocatinal school that provides 2 specialties - Navigating officers and Ship Engineering specialty students. The Project provided practice placements for the 2nd year students according the study program. Place of practice: yacht ports and shipyards in Spain and Malta, which are appropriate for this aim as can provide placements in the necessary sector, so that the students can gain the necessary experience both professionally and culturally. Important factor - gaining communication skills in an international environment wit the co-workers. Seamen profession is an international profession with work opportunities worldwide, therefore international practice is especially important for the maritime students. The students obtained the necessary professional skills and widened their cultural horizons in an international environment. They saw the small enterprise business in the Maritime sector. Course activity - 2 teachers will attend "Structured Educational Visit to Schools & Training Seminars in Iceland" with the aim of raising their qualification and cultural understanding, as well as improving the teaching methods and their personal performance