INS ILLA DELS BANYOLS INTERNATIONAL (EU and non-EU) OVERALL STRATEGY:
The International Mobility Office of INS Illa dels Banyols is a new unit and the institution’s experience in terms of mobility is still scarce. Therefore, initial mobility activities under the Erasmus+ Programme will be carried on a modest scale, starting with KA1 activities that we intend to undertake in the medium or long term. Gradually, according to results and gained experience in mobility projects, the institution will be ready to participate in KA2 activities for Strategic Partnerships.
The purpose of INS Illa dels Banyols’ strategy is to develop European partnerships and to secure funding from the Erasmus+ Programme and the Regional Ministry of Education. Our main objective is to ensure that our Short Cycle students (Upper VET) can complete their Higher Technician Diploma through traineeships in European companies. All five Upper VET courses taught at our institution provide with a 360-hour module (22 ECTS) for vocational training, which is performed in the second year before students’ graduation. Our plan is to send a few students first and gradually increase the quantity.
Our aims are not restricted to the above, but also include:
- Carry out staff placements for teaching and training activities in European countries.
- Make new partners during the students or staff mobility.
- Involve families in those mobility projects organised by the institution. It is important to us that families believe in our project in order to give students the opportunity to have an experience living abroad.
- Introduce English as a vehicular language in some modules of higher education. This academic year we are going to teach some credits in English in some specific modules that are usually taught in Spanish.
- Improve linguistic and cultural competences of our students, teachers and staff members.
- Link the company experience with learning in the educational institution.
- Promote transnational cooperation between our institution and others through projects and knowledge exchanges.
- Increase and promote the knowledge of other countries and their cultures with special attention to the ability to adapt oneself to a new culture, language and work conditions.
- Promote personal development and motivation as well as emotional reinforcement both for students and teachers.
- Promote the use of ICT technologies at our institution.
As for the hosting partners are concerned, we will choose them according to the following criteria:
- The companies’ activity should be related to the school vocational field.
- The company training should fit the professional profile of the students.
- Previous knowledge of the company by the school or by references from students or teachers.
- The partners’ productive processes should fit the professional competences related to the Vocational Field.
- Trough the social networks such as eTwinning, which has helped us to find European partners. These partners may at the same time get us in touch with other partners in other fields.
- We have already contacts in France. They can help us to get in contact with other partners.
- Visiting partners. We were last February in Montpellier, visiting our partner to check the host institution in order to check if the installations and labs or classrooms are appropriate for our students.
- We are taking part in a mobility network managed by the Regional Ministry of Education. The Ministry gets in touch with their European counterparts in order to find institutions eager to host traineeship participants or to join international projects. Besides, this mobility network helps us in the way we have to submit application forms concerning European projects. Moreover, it provides all necessary resources and support arrangements so that mobility activities can take place.
As for the geographical area, we will prioritize the following aspects:
- The language used in the company should be English, since it is the most spoken language by our students.
- Places where the students’ vocational field is widely settled and active.
- Places with a wide range of accommodation facilities at affordable prices.
As for the target groups, we are open to all Short Cycles (Upper VET) taught at our institution:
Upper VET courses comprise three professional families. We will take a special priority to those students of Vocational Training courses whose level of maturity make them to cope with the cultural shock that means to live abroad. Likewise, we will bear in mind those students who have a level of L2 enough to communicate and manage in the foreign country, as well as they are responsible and efficient and have obtained required academic marks in both courses. Once these students have been arranged according to the system of scoring previously mentioned and after listening to the educational teams, the Head of Department of Vocational Training courses will make a final list of the students.