The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) is, by far, the major Vocational Educational and Training (VET) college in the Maltese Islands. The MCAST trains and prepares youths and adults in a wide range of specialised skills in order to provide the bulk of the manpower needed by the local industry on a national level. It is therefore crucial in the current global scenario for the MCAST to keep its VET system constantly updated by exposing and training its students and staff in other countries and beyond the national VET scenario. In itself the project acts as an essential cross-fertilisation project for VET education across the EU. The main activities associated with the participation in this project will include: 1) In line with the MCAST Internationalisation Strategy (Annex 1), the participation of the MCAST in this Erasmus+ project will give learners a unique enhancement to their educational experiences as they will have the opportunity of going on traineeships in companies and vocational education institutions in other European countries. This is especially important within the context of a globalised economy: the students are presented with the opportunity of training in the international employment market. This project would offer over 120 students the opportunity to do an international VET learner traineeship in a company or vocational college and giving them the chance to apply the knowledge they learnt at the College, to learn new practical skills from their placements but also to be able to learn about a different European country and its culture. On successful completion of the mobility, a Europass Mobility Certificate will be issued to each participant in recognition of the experience gained. For each of its six different institutes, the MCAST has identified a number of potential partners which will host students in companies, organisations or colleges abroad. These partnerships and their links to the different institutes and areas of studies are summarised in the attached Annex 2. The expected learning outcomes for the students going on an Erasmus+ traineeship are: a. to get work experience in their specific sector b. to recognise the main challenges in the sector c. to perform tasks independently & in a team d. to use standard tools & accessories in the specific sector e. to appreciate the main differences between the local market & the European market f. to appreciate different people, languages & cultures The MCAST will also send students from the Centre for Maritime Studies (CMS) on VET mobilities which last 6 months. These students will conduct practical training on board ships. This is fundamental for the students to acquire their profession as maritime officer. The Erasmus+ program will also offer OLS support to these students who often have to work on vessels to improve on their language skills. One of the major changes in the scope of the mobility flows is the substantial increase in mobilities of learners and staff in the Netherlands. For 2017 and 2018 the MCAST, in line with its European Internationalization Strategy, desires to increase the number of VET learner traineeships in vocational institutes in colleges based in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. In 2018 both Valletta and Leeuwarden will be cultural capitals of Europe. The MCAST has initiated several collaborative projects with the colleges of ROC Friese Poort , Nordwin and Friesland for 2018. The MCAST desires to send 40 learners to carry out a traineeship in these vocational colleges in the Netherlands to work on collaborative projects. These collaborative projects will not only give an exposure to students in their area of study but will foster a cultural exchange between two European countries. Students from all of the MCAST institutes, including: creative arts, sciences, engineering, business, ICT and community services will be eligible to apply. These Dutch colleges have strong ties with local industries and can give a good exposure to MCAST Technical College students in the respective industries. 2) Staff; For MCAST staff to stay updated and relevant in today's educational system it is crucial that the staff is regularly trained and kept abreast with technological advancement. Through this project the staff would be given an opportunity to receive a 5-day training in other vocational schools besides the opportunity to observe new areas of study, new technologies, new teaching methods etc. This will be a cross-fertilisation exercise across VET institutions. The mobilities will be in line with the MCAST training needs (Annex 3). 3) Students and staff with special needs will have an equal opportunity to apply and participate in this project. These participants will be supported whole-heartedly by the MCAST International Office and the NA, including the provision of accompanying persons where needed. Finally, refer to Annex 4 for the Application, Selection Procedure and Dissemination.