In the context of Erasmus+, this Accreditation is the instrument or mechanism that confirms that educational institutions, vocational education and training or adult education institutions have a strategy for implementing mobility activities that meet high quality standards, based on an institutional European development plan.
With the approval of the Erasmus+ Accreditation for Vocational Education and Training (KA120-VET), AIAM a.k.a. Mobility Friends, as the coordinating entity, aims to create significant opportunities for the education community, promoting a more promising future, personal and educational growth, the development and international integration of the institutions involved, and sustainability.
The mobilities are aimed at students of Vocational Secondary Education from the Northern Region of Portugal, aged between 15 and 20, attending the 11th and/or 12th grade in vocational courses in the areas of Tourism and IT. AIAM seeks to provide 11th grade students with their first experience of contact with the job market, while 12th grade graduates have the opportunity to consolidate and deepen their technical-professional skills in a real work context.
Key Objectives:
1) Enhance Skills
Enhance general and specialized professional skills, strengthened by integration into the culture of European companies during the mobility, to meet market requirements.
2) Adaptability
Improve the adaptation to diverse professional, social and cultural scenarios, through training activities and practical experiences abroad that will enrich the specialized vocabulary (English).
3) Equity
Promote equity in education by ensuring equal access to mobilities and simultaneously improve the performance and participation of students belonging to underprivileged groups.
4) Innovation
Adapt the practical training to changes in the educational process, through incorporation and fusion of new innovative digital curricular tools.
5) Sustainability
Ensure compliance with the principles of sustainability in mobilities. Sustainability is a mindset and small actions contribute collectively for a more sustainable and responsible Erasmus mobility experience.
6) Diversity
Awareness of cultural diversity, enabling trainees to play a role as citizens in the multicultural community of the EU and intensify the European approach in the school environment.
7) Improve
Update and improve teaching methods and techniques.
Project nº 2024-1-PT01-KA121-VET-000209951
Mobility in Varna, Bulgaria
In partnership with Esposende Professional School, an international mobility took place from the 18th to the 30th of May in Varna, Bulgaria, within the context of vocational education and training.
Seven students of the courses Catering Technician, Socio-Cultural Entertainer and Communications Technician (Marketing, Public Relations and Advertising) participated in a 15-day internship in two of the most prestigious hotels in the region: Ensana Aquahouse and Grifid Vistamar Hotel. This experience allowed them to deepen their technical knowledge, develop practical skills in a real work context, strengthen communication in a foreign language and live an enriching cultural immersion in an international setting.
In addition to the professional aspect, students also had moments of leisure and discovery. Among the highlights is a visit to the Aquahouse Thermal & Beach, where they could relax in the hot springs and explore the wellness infrastructures. The cultural element was also equally valued with a visit to the city of Varna and the emblematic Dolphinarium, which provided an educational spectacle about the marine world.
Simultaneously, two accompanying teachers participated in a training course on Artificial Intelligence in Classroom Management, a relevant and current professional development opportunity with direct impact on pedagogical practices.
Mobility in Torremolinos, Spain
Between the 18th and 30th of May, an international mobility in the field of vocational education and training took place in Torremolinos, Spain, with the participation of the School of Technology and Management of Barcelos and the Secondary School of Barcelinhos.
Seven students participated in this experience: four students of the Tourism course, who completed their internship at the Hotel Fénix and at the Hotel MS Amaragua, and three students from Informatics, who interned at the company Samset. In this real work context, students applied their technical knowledge, developed new professional skills and strengthened their autonomy and adaptability in an international environment.
During this period, two teachers participated in a job shadowing activity, closely monitoring the operation of host companies and other partner entities, promoting the exchange of good practices and strengthening institutional cooperation.
The experience also included enriching cultural moments, with visits to emblematic places such as the city of Málaga, the picturesque village of Setenil de las Bodegas and the natural area of El Torcal de Antequera (Sonda), providing participants with a broader perspective of the social and cultural reality of the Andalusian region.
