The Professional School of Vouzela was founded almost 25 years ago and its exclusively dedicated to the education and vocational training of young people. The lack of skilled labour in the Hospitality business in the region and the high percentage of dropout students, without preparation for life and for the labour market, was the reason behind the creation of thus Vocational School, which currently has 297 students spread across the several training courses. EP Vouzela, in a joint work of its staff and students, ensures the fulfilment of a growth strategy that strives for excellence, integration into the local, regional, national and European market. More than allow the school’s development in only one direction - the internationalization, this project and the knowledge that results from it, will build a two-way street, from local to international and vice versa. The EUROVOUZELA II project is structured to give continuity to the internationalization process started last year and has as OBJECTIVES: 1- PREPARING STUDENTS FOR the ACTIVE LIFE - TRANSITION FROM THE ACADEMIC LIFE TO THE LABOUR MARKET 2 - IMPROVING THE EP’S EDUCATIONAL OFFERE IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY, FIGHTING THE SCHOOL DROPOUT AND WITHDRAWAL THROUGH MOTIVATION AND ATTRACTIVENESS 3 – CLOSENESS OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY TO THE EUROPEAN REALITY - BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS AND INTERNATIONAL SYNERGIES The needs of the EP Vouzela are necessarily those of their students: • High numbers of DROPOUTS / WITHDRAWALS AND SCHOOL FAILURE • WEAK LANGUAGE SKILLS, even at the English level • LITTLE EXPERIENCE OF STUDENTS IN WORK CONTEXT • COMMUNICATION in INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, as well as the so-called soft-skills • POOR OR LITTLE CIVIC PARTICIPATION. The feeling of belonging to Europe and the defence of Human Rights are a distant reality • DESENSIZATION/ LOW AWARENESS OF THE EUROPEAN REALITY • DESERTIFICATION • LACK OF LIFE GOALS The mobility plan and cooperation for the academic year 2015/2016 is developed on two axes: (1) MOBILITY OF SCHOOL STAFF to a new context – Finland, in order to learn new procedures and practices, as this is a country well known for its political and educational distinct practices. (2) MOBILITY OF STUDENTS extending the territory of the students’ curricular internships to Greece, Italy and the Czech Republic, because we feel that a wider range of destinations can be more fruitful. The participants will be 20 trainees – from the 11th and 12th years of vocational training courses (level IV): Industrial Maintenance Technician - Electromechanical; Industrial Maintenance Technician - Automotive Mechatronics; Mechatronics Technician; Restaurant Kitchen-Pastry Technician; Restaurant-Food&Beverage Technician; Secretariat Technician; Trade Technician. The destination countries are selected according with the fact that these are references in the professional areas of the participants: - United Kingdom, Czech Republic and Germany for the areas of Industrial Maintenance, Electromechanics, Mechatronics and Automotive Mechatronics; - Spain and France in the areas of Trade and Secretariat; - Greece and Italy for the areas of Kitchen / Pastry, Restaurant/Bar. The student mobility periods in Group 1 countries will last 9 weeks and students who will go to the group of countries Group 2 will make 10 week program (1 week language course + 9 week internship). As for the job shadowing activities of the teachers, they will last for 1 week. The mobility of students will be certified through the delivery of the EUROPASS MOBILITY Certificate, INTERNSHIP CERTIFICATE, LANGUAGE COURSE CERTIFICATE, PROMOTER’S CERTIFICATE and ECVET; the teachers will receive a PROGRAM STATEMENT. The expected RESULTS and IMPACTS on the students and the school community are: - STUDENTS WITH STRENGTHENED QUALITY CVs THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO MORE EASILY JOIN THE LABOUT MARKET (NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL) AFTER THE END OF THE COURSES; - BEST EDUCATIONAL OFFER AND THEREFORE LOWER LEVELS OF SCHOOL DROPOUT/ WITHDRAWAL; - STRATEGIC INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS CONSOLIDATED BY EP VOUZELA, AS WELL AS THE REGION AND THE ENTREPRENEURS THAT EMPLOY THE STUDENTS. At the Regional / Local level, the continuity of the development of the project will contribute to: • The sustainable development of the Region • The qualification of Human Resources of the Region • Higher levels of entrepreneurship • Closeness of the Region to the European sphere At the European and International level, this project will contribute to: • Achieve the goals in the European 2020 Strategy in the fields of education, innovation and development. • Increase the number of European mobilities, duly certified and accredited. • The qualification of Human Resources, able to work in other countries. • Boost the cooperation between vocational training institutions and companies, which will facilitate the access to the European labour market. • The increase in the number of international partnerships and contacts.