The Improving Skills project was promoted by EFTA - School of Professional Training in Tourism of Aveiro, Lda., Constituted in 2006 and currently the only school in the region dedicated exclusively to the areas of Tourism and Leisure and Hospitality and Catering. EFTA promotes a professional and academic qualification of excellence and stands out today as a Vocational Training School of reference.With this new project, EFTA pursued its clear objectives in the educational project and strategic plan of internationalization and training / employability, tourism and leisure dynamism and organizational learning.The participants of this project were 16 trainees for 11-week Curricular Internship and 6 newly graduates for a 14-week Professional Internship from EFTA Level 4 vocational training courses in the areas of Tourism, Catering and Hospitality. The mobility period included the sending of 4 companions (1 per flow of participants) for 4 days.The 5-day shadowing program allowed 6 faculty members to be sent with peer training and bridge-building missions with which EFTA schools can engage in dialogue and exchanges on a permanent basis .The countries of destination were: Austria, United Kingdom, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain.In terms of certification all participants received the EFTA Certificate, Certificate of Internship and Europass-Mobility CertificateThe main NEEDS of the target audience were: Creating opportunities for audiences with problematic socio-economic situations Reversing trends in school drop-out and failure Strengthening social and personal skills Creating curiosity by knowing and contacting other peoples and cultures Improving mastery of languages and raising awareness of other languages Qualify and certify human resources in the tourism and leisure sectorThe general OBJECTIVES were:- STIMULATE TRAINERS TO BE INVOLVED IN THEIR OWN TRAINING- GUARANTEE A QUALITY TRAINING THAT GOES TO THE MEETING OF TRAINERS AND SOCIETY- CREATE COOPERATIVE NETWORKS THAT THINK / AGE ON TRAINING AND EMPLOYABILITYThe registered IMPACTS were:Students and alumni:- Continuation and completion of courses by the students (currently in the 12th year)- Former students in the labor market- Facilitator of integration in the national and international labor market- Reinforcement of the taste for the professional area through the learning of new techniques and knowledge in general- Recognition of the importance of constant technical and professional updating- Cultural interest fostered by multiple trips- Greater ease in contact with other cultures, greater openness, tolerance and acceptance of diversity- A greater taste for learning and, by sharing their experience, transmitting the same taste to other trainees / young people- Recognition of the internationalization experience as positive in the development of their personal and professional competences- Proficiency in a language other than the mother tongue- Development of skills in the interpersonal relationshipStaff:- Increased pedagogical competence of the faculty and more motivation to invest in the level of quality and excellence- Increased work capacity and increased involvement in the dynamization of school activities- Greater sense of belonging to the EFTA community- Increased ability to work in teams (face-to-face and distance) and in interdisciplinary and intercultural environments- Greater evaluative capacity on the work developed- Contact with practices and trends of tourism and leisure at European and international level who have practical effects in the classroom, with students- Improving language skills- Greater proximity to other cultures, greater ability to tolerate acceptanceEducational Community:- Motivation and enthusiasm for participation in future mobility programs- Cultural curiosity- Ability to work at intercultural level- Domain of the instruments and mechanisms used with the ERSMUS +- Recognition of the competences and capital gains of the teaching and non-teaching staff in international project management- Impact on strengthening self-esteem, by recognizing impacts on work done- Development of skills in the interpersonal relationshipSchool Community:- Contribution to the strategy put forward in the EFTA European Development Plan and consequently to the removal of identified needs- Teachers learn to trust their students- Reducing dropout rates- Creation of new dynamics in school management

"Over the past 20 years, the technical and vocational education has been subject to numerous reforms and changes that had weakened the training offer. Add to this the phenomenon of widespread Italic ""genericism"" that, pushing students towards a choice of extensive and generic studies, is actually the main reason of demotivation towards studies and school drop-out.These elements move in contrast with the needs of the labor market for technical-professional and in particular in tourism and hotel sector. Similarly, the demand for labor, in conjunction with the technological development and competitiveness of the market, requires increasingly specific skills and the same employers recognize that the preparation of the staff coming out of the training course is not always adequate.To complete the picture, it is estimated that in the near future, at the conclusion of the current economic crisis, the demand for labor will greatly increase, with particular reference to its technical and professional fields. In this context the institutes IFOM, Varalli, Bertarelli and Besta have found the common need to compensate the mismatch between training offer and the needs of enterprises, reducing the mismatch between demand and supply of labor, reduce early school leaving and improving integration between schools and business. The realization of this general objective went through the achievement of the following specific results:- For students, to strengthen their professional skills, transversal and personal, enhancing their career prospects and their motivation, creating a sense of entrepreneurship, emancipation, European and intercultural awareness;- For the staff involved, to improve their professional and linguistic skills, to understand the practices related to the world of education and its links with the world of work, to understand the social, linguistic and cultural differences, to increase the ability to address the needs of the most disadvantaged and to strengthen the capacity to sustain their motivation to work; - For the organizations involved, to learn to operate internationally, to understand how to provide the most stimulating educational activities, to create a modern and dynamic working environment, to develop activities good for the whole civil society.For this reason, the project ""Learning in hospitality Europe by undergoing a traineeship VET"" promoted the development of internships abroad for students of the consortium schools. The project included two activities:1) Mobility of 92 students and 17 accompaying persons for an internship abroad lasting one month;2) Mobility of 19 neo-graduates for an internship abroad lasting 10 weeksThe activities included the selection and preparation of students, the organization of the mobilities, activities abroad, evaluations, dissemination and follow-up activities.Between the participants were involved 33 students with fewer opportunities, including 11 with special needs (DSA or BES). The impact of the proposed actions was wide and involved multiple levels of recipients in direct and indirect manner:STUDENTS:- Competitiveness on the labor market;- Improving their social skills;- The acquisition of transversal skills (self-esteem, responsibility, ability to take tasks, ...) will also bring benefits to emancipation and employability;- Peers of the students are indirect beneficiaries, through the experiences of the participants in the action. TEACHERS:- The renewed interest in teaching will bring greater efficiency in learning of the students;- Sharing a common experience with the students will produce a greater understanding of their difficulties and more effective communication between teachers and students;- A better understanding of the labor market in Europe will offer more precise knowledge in supporting the education of students. SCHOOLS:- Increased ability to manage projects;- Increased understanding of the training gaps of students who are entering the world of work;- Development of ECVET as tools for the recognition and validation of students' Learning Outcomes;- Increased understanding of the tourist business processes in Europe;- Increased ability to intervene on motivation and orientation of students, particularly those with fewer opportunities;- Increased competitiveness of vocational schools, compared to other training institutions, crediting the institutions involved at the local level;- Refinement of the offer of training based on the skills and specific needs of the students, thanks to new contacts with foreign companies;- Training of students in line with market requirements;- Increased internationalization of training institutions, in line with European standards of education.The project's impact has been disseminated by the Europe Direct Regione Lombardia among citizens, schoold and local companies."