Project name: Internships abroad - key to competence and success- Erasmus+ 2016The background of this project is the 12 week (minimum) internship required by the curriculum of the “Secondary School for Economic Professions” (HLW). The internship is an important part of this dual education (school and occupational training) during the five years at this school.The internship can be completed at any kind of business, preferably in the hotel or gastronomy sector.By completing this internship in the hotel or gastronomy sector and the associated work fields (kitchen, service, reception, bar, catering), the students acquire professional advantages and paves the way to self-dependence.Goals:*Application and expansion of knowledge, skills and qualifications learned at school.*Improving employability on a national, European, and international level.*Improving mobility and flexibility.*Strengthening of life skills, personality and autonomy.*Growth of self-dependence and self-determination.*Coping with challenges and assigned tasks in a foreign country and unfamiliar surroundings, using a foreign language, and learning to live and work in a multicultural environment.*Improvement of language skills in English, French, and Spanish*Promoting intercultural dialogue*Forming new friendships*Getting to know different organizations and cultures, different company structures and operational proceduresNumber and profile of the participants:22 students will complete their internship abroad in summer 2016.For 2016, our target countries and regions are: France, Malta, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. These countries have been chosen to improve language skills in French, Italian and English.People involved in the project: Head Teacher Erich Hinterleitner; project coordinators Christine Lahninger and Elfriede Maier; language teachers: Philippe Patry, Monika Rucker, Christina Humer, Bianca Schöfbänker, Christiane Gassenbauer; accounting: Martina Schmid.Activities:The compulsory internship complements the knowledge and skills gained in the relevant school subjects (Kitchen and Service, Business organization, Business Administration) with expertness at the workplace in a company. This expertise is a requirement in the following job fields:cook, restaurant specialist, hotel and restaurant trade commercial assistant.The participants will gain experience especially in the fields of kitchen, service, bar, reception, housekeeping.Methods of project implementation:For the implementation of this project, ECVET elements (learning agreement, cooperation agreement) will be used.The cooperation agreement is the frame for cooperation between the sending and the receiving institutions. In this document, the specific tasks and criteria for successful cooperation are regulated.The learning agreement aims to improve transparency and to ensure that the intern will be assigned tasks commensurate to their level of competence and the educational goals.An internship contract will regulate the employment. The receiving institution will issue the internship certificate and voice their feedback in a form.Workshop to prepare for the stay, compilation of a final report.Results, effects and benefits:Learning life skills, improving self-confidence and self-management, expansion of the horizon will have positive effects on class instruction. The participants realize the importance of foreign languages and gain more motivation in learning English, Italien and French.The internship abroad is an important advertising vehicle for our school and is becoming more and more popular. Parents and students recognize the effects of this project, more job opportunities and better possibilities to enter employment.With great enthusiasm, the students present the results of the internships to the following third classes. The participants create portfolios, reports, power point presentations, and posters to show their experiences.Presenting the project at the open day.