FCT-Erasmus is an umbrella project implemented by the Regional Ministry of Education in Andalusia, the higher rank organization in charge of the official certification HE VET degree. The project is offered to the official HE VET students in their final school year in order to accomplish the compulsory in-companies work placements prior to certify their qualification framework as Advance Experts certificate. As a centralised Mobility project the Consortium is composed by the majority of ECHE institutions in Andalusia. 67 ECHE Chartered institutions have participated in this edition and 61 students from a large variety of VET branches have had the opportunity to do work placements in Europe and in many cases to find a job in the companies.By means of this project, Junta de Andalucia intends to establish the quality standards a mobility project needs and guarantee the success in the acquisition of the VET competencies a student need to accomplish in order to get his/her official degree and fulfil the positive assessment the student need to obtain which may lead them to certification. In this way, The General Directorate for Vocational Education, Training and Lifelong Learning provides support, training, tools for follow-up and partnership to the institutions in the Consortium for them to be trained for their future participation in Erasmus + annual Call for proposals. We must point out that the number of participants has been increased in this edition in 20 % from last year.Our offer is opened to the whole variety to the catalogue of certificates in Andalusia which goes up to 122 professional branches. In this editions we have had students from the following profiles: Administrative management; Analysis and Quality Control; Business Administration and Finance; Development of Computer Applications; International Trade; Telecommunications and Computer Systems; Pre-primary Education; Development and Implementation of Building projects; Conduct of Physical and sport activities in a Natural environment; Productions of Audiovisual programmes and shows among others.Project management procedures: Once the project is approved we contact the associated organizations in order to received the Interinstitutional Contracts and summonds them to a meeting to explain the procedures and the finantial management of it. The schools disseminate the approval of the project and developed the selection procedures according to the detailed description in the application form. Junta de Andalusia receives the applicants documents and supervises the candidates dossiers. Meanwhile, the schools sign the partnership agreements, learning agreements, the memorandums of understandings and the Erasmus commitment letters. Once the students have finished their theoretical subject and assessment. They get permission from the Ministry of Education after revising: Insurance, European health care card, information about accommodation organised by the schools together with their host institutions, flight booking, follow-up tool, assessment, official certification; financial issues; document revision, OLS, Mobility tool, etc.The project has been absolutely successful for students as the great majority of them have qualified and got their degrees, but a large number of them have been employed and continue their job in the same companies where they enjoyed their grants abroad. The impact of the Erasmus placements in Andalusia is easily measured and the results are being sent to our National Agency for analysis. This project is now running for more than ten years now in the former LLP and the Regional Ministry of Education in Andalusia intends to continue until 2020. , Anyway, still we have a large path ahead of us in order to reach the 450 HE VET schools and support them into their internationalisation strategy.

This action supports physical and blended mobility of higher education students and staff from EU Member States and third countries associated to Erasmus+ to any country in the world. Students in all study fields and cycles can take part in a study period or traineeship abroad. Higher education teaching and administrative staff can take part in professional development activities abroad, as well as staff from the field of work in order to teach and train students or staff at higher education institutions.

There are several centres involved in this project:two from Denmark (Hotel Og Restaursskolen and ZBC, both located in Copenhagen area),one from Austria (Berufschule Atmunster, around 70 km far from Salzburg), one from France (Sens), one from Poland and our Vocational Training Centre, Jacaranda (located in Churriana, Málaga).We also count on the help from two catering firms in each country, each one linked to each of the Danish Vocational Training Centres mentioned above; these firms cover all the specialities that our students get involved in (cookery, catering business and bakery-patisserie). There is another small firm in catering from Norway and a chain of hotels from Austria an hotel in Poland and a restuarnt in France which are involved in this project as well.As far as Denmark is concerned,we count on our strategic partners Christina Cuming nsen and Dennis Rix. They are both coordinators on international practises in their own schools. In Austria we count on Alfred Koblmuller. cookery teacher and former chef in hotels in Marbella (Spain) and Norway. We also have the help of Eduardo Clerisse, expert cook who has worked in different countries. They collaborate on providing us contact with firms and further monitoring, apart from collaborating in the searching for accommodation, transport and emergency assistance if so required . We also have one partner in Sens, France, Laura Gómez who is a Spanish teacher and who has already sent some of their students to our partners here in Spain, we also have a new partner who is helping us in Poland.Short mobility, about 60 days, of six students for staying in firms in Denmark or Norway, France and Austria: Two students of each cycle. We included one student with educational needs and another with several difficulties. We would like to do it in September 2021. These mobilities of students take place from September to December, being considered as postgraduate training.Long mobility, about 93 days, of ten students From different cycles to stay in a French, Polish, Danish or Norwegian firm:. We included two students with several difficulties and their companions. We would like to do it 2021 on March. We will send students to develop their job training course in those firms for three months, from March to June.Staff mobilities, as job shadowing, are planned for 5 teachers during 5 days in Denmark. We will arrange dates throught the course.Staff mobilities, as previous visits, are planned for 4 teachers during 3-5 days. We will arrange dates throught the course.Our students are in a middle grade vocational training cycle and most of them are not in touch with foreign languages in the official curriculum,except for catering services, being that one of the main aims of this project: to develop fluent communication in a foreing language at the end of the period.For the last years,we have undergone a great incrase in the number of students with difficulties and it is to this type of students this project is aimed at; this way,they may have the chance to live a unique experience which might become really important to develop themselves as employees as well as to acquire professional abilities, in a high effectiveness atmosphere. We do also have to bear in mind the improvement in their autonomy and the widening of their future perspectives. Once they are back home,their self-esteem really increases and they have become themselves more “appealing” for the labour market.On the other hand,we cannot forget the high demand and commitment with employees that all theese countries own.;it is worthy to emphasize their century-old bakery and patisserie traditions and the progress in catering services,holding the so-considered best restaurants –hotels- bakeries in Europe for many years.Both the project coordinator and the executive secretary of school will take charge of the management of transport,accommodation and other expenses.As methodology, we will use worksheets to be filled in by the student and supervised by the partner from the firm,being in daily contact both partner and firm.Therefore,we may conclude that Erasmus projects are something we are familiar with in our schoold,especially in Catering and Tourism and Food Industries Departments.; this is clearly perceived by students and make them settle on our school.We have definitley encouraged a new coordination and a new partnership both in vocational training centres owd in firms and the choice has not been random,given the high number of students withs special needs,both diagnosed and not diagnosed. We understand there are countries which display a stronger sensiblity to this kind of students and regarding this, Denmark, Austria, France and Norway are really committted to it as required by law.

Our institution, IES Jacaranda in Churriana, Málaga, has completed its involvement in the Erasmus + programme, as part of Key Action 1, promoting mobility on the educational grounds, for students and staff. The project began in 2016 under the heading “Jóvenes y formadores Malagueños por empresas de Europa”, lasting for a total duration of 2 years, which has now come to an end.Initially, a total of 9 students were to undergo training and 5 members of staff were to undergo job shadowing. In the end, 10 students and 4 members of staff participated in the project.Furthermore, it is worth noting that there were changes to the host businesses originally indicated, due to reasons beyond our institution's control; these issues were resolved along the way, with our National Agency notified accordingly.We have worked with companies in four countries without the involvement of any direct intermediaries, establishing the corresponding bilateral collaboration agreements with firms in Germany, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom.Our participation in and the development of the Erasmus project has made it possible to complement and enhance the education received by our students and teachers, with the main objective of increasing their employability and strengthening their skills in terms of language, professional, social and intercultural skills. In the immediate future, this initiative will serve as a valid tool in promoting the multilingualism of future students, facilitating a policy of internalising our active and up-and-coming centre.The students involved are studying or have now completed their vocational studies in hospitality and tourism, specialising in Culinary, Patisserie and Catering Services. All are in agreement that their experience has been very positive, widely fulfilling their expectations in all regards; in turn, this has generated a change in attitude in their peers and teachers in the department concerning participation in Europe-wide projects. This growing interest has seen a new project, as part of the 2018 call for applications, under the heading “Descubriendo la hostelería por Europa”, which has been approved and is currently underway, managed by our colleagues in the department.Europass documents have been processed for all students involved in a satisfactory manner, with all procedures completed by all the agents involved; these documents have now been signed and approved, and handed over to recipients at a recent ceremony.In conclusion, our experience as part of this project, in addition to our experience from previous projects, is of particular relevance to our students on vocational courses and the entire teaching staff.The initiative has been received enthusiastically in terms of both current and future undertakings in which we have the opportunity to share experiences with other people, institutions and cultures other than our own, thus enhancing confidence in the unknown and helping to banish any fear of using other languages to communicate.During this 2-year period, no efforts have been spared and although we have encountered difficulties along the way, they will help us to improve current and future projects.We have worked non-stop and dedicated countless man hours, but the outcome has been very positive as can be seen in the excellent assessment of all those involved, including students, teachers, the sending organisation and host companies.Finally, it must be noted that some host companies have gone on to employ students from previous phases, and they are now in employment enjoying very favourable working conditions. This highlights, further still, that the targets set as part of this project have been far exceeded.

Our center already participated in this type of projects for a long time that were called Leonardo and Erasmus later.With the continuation of the projects, the aim is to get more partners, both in Hospitality and Bakery companies, as well as in a greater number of equivalent training centers in Europe, something that we have achieved in these 4 years.The participation of the rest of the majority of the center's staff has also been opened, as well as in the dissemination and publicity of any project activity in department, cloister and school council meetings.Regarding the objectives, we have observed improvements at the individual and collective level of teachers and students in the organization of the center, used methodologies and FCT systems (Internships in companies). We have also been able to publicize our center at a European level, facilitating the teaching community analyze other systems of teaching and operation of European companies.Interest in the knowledge of languages, new technologies as well as interpersonal relationships has increased.Students have seen benefits from joining leading Hospitality and Bakery companies in which their self-esteem has been strengthened, especially in students with specific educational needs.All the participants have acquired a greater European geographic-cultural knowledge, both for the country, for the area or region and for the whole of Europe.In this project we have been able to carry out the following mobilities by country:- Norway: 2 students from the Middle Bachelor's Degree in Cooking and Gastronomy and 2 teachers; one accompanying and the other on a preparatory visit.- Denmark: 5 students of the Middle Bachelor's Degree in Cooking and Gastronomy and 3 teachers; 2 companions and another to support a student with a recognized 33% disability.- Austria: 2 students from the Middle Bachelor's Degree in Cooking and Gastronomy and 2 teachers; one accompanying and the other on a preparatory visit.- Poland: 8 students of the Middle Bachelor's Degree in Cooking and Gastronomy and 2 teachers; one accompanying and the other on a preparatory visit. This mobility had to be canceled by Covid 19.- France: 3 teachers of Cooking and Pastry in training, job shadowing.It has not been possible to cover all the mobilities proposed in large part due to the pandemic that forced us to cancel a mobility to Poland and that those interested were not encouraged again or could not apply again because they were not students of the center.A total of 14 participants were male and 13 femaleMost of our students had no travel experience and some had never left Andalusia.Of the three applicants with disabilities, only one of them was encouraged to participate in a mobility in Denmark.We have carried out long-term mobility, 90 days for students, companions for each mobility, preparatory visits and training stays for teachers.With this project we have managed to attract the interest of students and teachers who have been diminished by the appearance of the pandemic, even so we have managed to increase the number of applications and be able to organize a training stay for teachers.A remarkable fact is the stay of a student with a recognized disability who has made a stay of 90 days in a well-known pastry shop in Copenhagen.At the center we have managed to make the majority of the educational community know about the project and the activities that are organized, Erasmus days, jam contest, exchange of cooking recipes and gastronomic culture.Among the most relevant benefits that we see in the short - medium term is the interest of students in this type of program, with what this entails in personal learning, language, information technology and the ability to become independent. .We hope that this is an incentive so that there are no school dropouts and they continue their training and subsequent incorporation into the labor marketTeachers have also seen how they manage to improve aspects of their teaching-learning and organization of the center.Finally, we would like to highlight the importance of awakening in students the feeling of feeling European. With this project, the fundamental values of the European Union are acquired, in which justice, solidarity and non-discrimination are included and prevail: they are dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights.