Address: Via Montecuccoli 12, Turin

Country: Italy

 School website

Project: Work based training abroad across the Europe and the differences

Working language during the project: 

  • Italian and
  • English
     

Themes of the Council of Europe campaign “FREE to SPEAK, SAFE to LEARN - Democratic Schools for All” covered:

  • Making children’s and students’ voices heard
  • Improving well-being at school
     

Competences from the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (CDC) addressed and where / how they were integrated:

  • Openness to cultural otherness, other beliefs, world views and practices
    The students were in Derry, UK for their work based experience, living with guest families who were also from different countries. Derry has an interesting historic background, with religious and democratic values deeply felt
  • Knowledge and critical understanding of language and communication
    During the first and last week of their experience, this project was focused on a marketing and advertising project based on materials made in Derry: our students observed, studied and worked on them, pointed out also L2 used in them for the purpose of Tourism.
  • Co-operation skills
    During their experience far from home, out of their comfort zone, all soft social skills were used. Co-operation skills were used among the students themselves.
     

Target group age range:

  • 15 - 19
     

Level of education:

  • Upper secondary education

Short description of the project:

Our project was planned and carried out for creating and developing a skilled and socially inclusive population. Students need assistance to increase their citizens’ understanding of work, to improve their skills and employability. This project on work-based training supported them to approach sustainable employment and to shorten the distance from education to employment.

Our students during their 4-week experience in the UK in Derry, in Northern Ireland understood exactly what work was, and what occupational areas they are attracted to, and they learnt specific competences needed for particular jobs. Thanks to this experience, they were more motivated to go to school once back in Italy and this can be seen also as preventive step against dropping out and early-school leaving, as it made them more interested in studying. This is important for increasing participation and better outcomes for disadvantaged students.

This project gave them an opportunity to gain and practise soft social skills. At the same time, through accreditation and experience, it offered a passport to help secure sustainable employment.

Moreover, it was also a support for their growth as adults through their identification with an economic role and purpose.

This European mobility reduced various barriers, above all because of use of the pound rather euros, strengthening the role of a democratic dialogue through the appropriate involvement of the guest families, staff from the language school, working tutors, school friends and Italian teachers participating in this project abroad.

It was also a powerful way to develop generic skills such as teamwork and problem solving, and basic work habits such as punctuality, dress code, responsibility and professionalism, approaching unknown adults with whom they have to work and collaborate.

This mobility gave all of them the opportunity to access the European Union. Thanks to the European funds, all of them, including students with fewer opportunities, could experience travelling and living abroad despite their social and cultural differences and economic circumstances.
 

Aims/objectives

  • Giving more chances to ensure engagement.
  • Motivate students to lower the drop-out and early-school leaving rates.
  • Learning for jobs from jobs
  • Orientating students in the “adult world”
     

Expected results/outcomes

  • Better understanding of a chosen occupational path
  • Easier transitions through to employment
  • Access to the labour market with an enriched CV
     

Changes

  • Students approached school and daily life differently
  • Students became more competitive, self-awareness and self-confident about the future
     

Challenges you faced

  • Drop off and early school leaving
  • Improving of self-regulation considering their experience abroad far from home
     

Time-frame of the project:

From the planning of it ( 2017) to the preparation of students with also the L2 certification in B2 (October 2018) till to the work based experience in Derry (June 2019)
 

Council of Europe materials on citizenship and human rights education used while preparing or implementing your practice:

  • Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture
  • Living Democracy - manuals for teachers
  • Democratic governance of schools
  • Human Rights and Democracy Start with Us – Charter for All
  • How all Teachers Can Support EDC/HRE: A Framework for the Development of Competences

Additional material provided by the school