Project period: 1.12.2021-31.05.2023

The purpose of the project was to offer students the opportunity of an internship abroad in a company from another European country so that they could compare and analyze their previous experiences with companies and their operations in Estonia and another European country. While preparing the project, we planned 30 study trips for students to 5 countries over two academic years.

The project had two goals:

To support the development of key competencies, social skills and attitudes and personal characteristics of project participants through study migration and work and study motivation.

To develop the professional knowledge and skills of study migration participants and to consolidate the theoretical knowledge acquired at school so that they meet the needs of the rapidly changing labor market both in Estonia and in Europe.

2022/23. 3 study tours took place during the academic year:

• e-marketing specialist student completed a 3-week internship in Spain.
• a marketing student completed a 4-week internship in Italy.
• a small business entrepreneur student, had a one-month internship in Malta.

Project period 1.09.2020-30.06.2023

Background

The school aims to provide students and external interest groups with high-quality vocational education oriented towards lifelong learning and considers the needs of the labor market. The main areas we wish to enhance through international cooperation in our organization’s activities are curriculum development, development of teaching and assessment methodology, the integration of subjects, developing the content and organization of internships, offering opportunities for teachers for job shadowing in partner organizations, and participating in further training.

Objectives

The project aimed to provide 12 staff members/teachers with the opportunity to learn from the best practices of partner schools and compare and analyze their experiences with new ones.

Learning outcomes of the staff/teachers’ learning mobility:

– Explain the teaching organization and curriculum structure of the host institution and compare them with the organizational structure and curriculum of the school.

– Participates in teaching activities based on the opportunities provided by the host organization.

– Describes cooperation based on the example of the host organization and the practical training companies there.

– Plans with colleagues from the school a task/organizational improvement based on the curriculum/their own work needs and the experiences gained during the learning mobility.

Implementation

With this project, we carried out 11 staff learning mobilities in three countries and four different schools.

Results

The learning mobilities provided an opportunity to learn from the best practices of partner schools and their experiences in organizing and implementing teaching activities. During the learning process, participants had the chance to share their own experiences and compare practices.

The staff/teachers who participated in the learning mobilities acquired new knowledge, skills, and techniques to apply in their positions or as educators. Teachers are utilizing the gained knowledge and skills in curriculum development and creating learning tasks.

As an organization, we gained insight into various experiences using coaching. The experiences from the visited schools confirm that coaching as an educational and support measure helps reduce the student dropout rate, enhances personalized learning experiences, increases student satisfaction, and supports professional development and achievement of learning outcomes. Therefore, starting from the academic year 2023/24, coaching will be introduced in seven fields of study, and training sessions on the coaching teaching method will be held for teachers.

Collaboration with all the schools will continue in various formats.

Project period 14.10.2019-13.10.2022

Background

Internships and learning through internships are essential parts of vocational education. The reasons are related to rapid changes in the economy and companies. As a result, learning in an internship is an opportunity to contribute to the growth of economic competitiveness and, on the other hand, to constantly develop the necessary competencies to adapt to changes and maintain your skills throughout your working life. Internships allow learners to understand what is happening in the world of work, improve their key competencies (e.g. communication and problem-solving, cooperation, management and learning skills) and create closer connections between what they learned at school and what happens in the world of work. On the other hand, the internship is a mandatory part of the curriculum. Achieving the learning outcomes described in the curriculum is only possible by completing the internship. Completing an internship outside of Estonia allows students to compare the work and work environment here and elsewhere, learn about other (working) cultures and customs, develop communication and foreign language skills, and have the courage to cope with new situations.

Objectives

The purpose of the project was to offer students the opportunity of an internship abroad in a company from another European country so that they could compare and analyze their previous experiences with companies and their operations in Estonia and another European country. While preparing the project, we planned 40 study trips for students to 5 countries over two academic years. Project goals:

1. To develop the professional knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the rapidly changing labour market in Estonia and Europe.

2. To confirm the participants’ theoretical knowledge acquired at school through practical activities in the work environment.

3. To support the key competencies of project participants (such as foreign language skills, science and technology foundations, use of information technology, learning skills, social and civic competence, initiative and entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and competence), developing social skills and attitudes (such as the ability to introduce oneself, adaptability, assert oneself, communication skills, teamwork skills and independent coping) and personal characteristics through mobility.

4. Increase study/work motivation and competitiveness through mobility.

Implementation

With this project, we implemented four short-term study mobilities of students in the planned length and 3 study mobilities partially, which were interrupted due to the outbreak of the corona pandemic.

Results

The goals of the internship were related to the development of professional knowledge and skills as well as the social skills and lifelong learning key competencies of learners.

Depending on the speciality, they learned about how companies function and how work is organized.

Project period: 1.06.2015-31.05.2017

Summary

The importance of practical training and practice-based learning has grown, in recent years it has been the subject of many discussions. The reasons are related to the rapid changes in the economy and companies´ activities. Internships give students the opportunity to better understand the work environment, improve their key skills (such as communication and problem solving, collaboration, and learning management) and to create better links between the school and the world of work.

This project was to offer the opportunity to practice in another European country, the students had the chance to compare companies and their functioning in different countries. During the project, we planned the mobilities in two academic years for 30 students in 4 different countries.

The main goal is to expand and support the development of students’ professional knowledge and skills by practising communication and language skills in different living and working environments. The objective of students participation in mobility was to obtain practical experience that the school is unable to provide them at school. Another objective of the project was the development of practice-based learning, the improvement of the learning and teaching quality. The project will develop key competences for lifelong learning, such as foreign languages, science, and technology bases, use of information technology, learning to learn, social and civic competences, sense of initiative and entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression.

The project lasted 2 years. 14 students participated in mobilities in the first year and 16 in the second year: 4 students went to Malta, 3 to Germany, 4 to Spain and 4 to Great Britain. The mobility lasted 3-4 weeks. Practical training in companies is mandatory for all curricula. Depending on training objectives, acquired knowledge and skills, the possibilities of partner organizations finding local companies for practical training students from following curricula participated in the mobilities: Legal Assistant, Client Advisor in the Bank, HR Specialist, Project Manager Assistant, Accountant, Social Media Specialist, Marketing Specialist, Small Entrepreneur and Business Professional.

Students come to study at Tallinna Majanduskool after the completion of secondary education. Learners are at least 19 years old, but in recent years the average age of students has increased, a lot of students are acquiring a second specialty, there are learners who already have a university degree. Most of the learners’ native language is Estonian, but also Russian.

Mobilities in both years were similar in chronological order. In September was seminars informing students about the opportunities of practical training in different countries. By early December the students had to submit their application together with the Europass CV. In January, the commission identified those students who can participate in mobility. In mid-January student`s Eur