Insignare schools: work-based learning placements and international virtual mobility

Since May 2nd, 131 senior students from INSIGNARE’s Schools, Ourém Vocational School (EPO) and Fátima Hospitality School (EHF), will be attending their 3 months internships: 20 will go to 4 European destinations: Seville, Valencia, Barcelona and Berlin. The remaining ones will go to different companies from North to South of the country.

Ourém Vocational School has 66 students doing their WBL, from Metalworking / CNC, Car Mechatronics, Management and Design; of these, 10 went on an international internship. Fátima Hospitality School sent 65 students, from Cook / Pastry Cook, Waiter / Barman and Tourism areas, with 10 going on an international internship.

Despite the pandemic and its many restrictions, all rules and regulations were complied with and taken care of, thus allowing the Schools to move forward with the integration of these students in the labour market. Many of these senior students will still apply for Higher Education, and it is likely that they will continue their studies after concluding 3 months of internship.

Students in European destinations received a grant, provided by Erasmus + program, which finances this project, that guarantees them accommodation, food, transport, and other expenses inherent to their stay abroad.

All these internships, in a national or international context, prepare the students in a wide range of personal and academic development, through participation in real work situations, further enhancing the approach to future professions and the functions that are inherent to them.

More information can be asked to Sérgio Fernandes, INSIGNARE’s International Cooperation Officer, at gci@insignare.pt

In addition, INSIGNARE’s Fátima Hospitality School participates in international virtual mobility. From 10th to 12th May, 8 students from Fátima Hospitality School’s Cook course 1st year took part in a virtual mobility, with colleagues from Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic, within the partnership “Good Food is Better Health”, supported by the Erasmus+ program.

As a result of the pandemic, what would be a trip to the Czech Republic has become a virtual meeting, via TEAMS platform. There, participants from the four countries debated and worked collaboratively on two main topics:

• European certification of national products (PDO – Protected Designation of Origin, PGI – Protected Geographical Indication and GTS – Guaranteed Traditional Specialty);
• Its use in the traditional gastronomy of each country.

They studied in depth the various national products that obtained those European certificates, sharing the results with their counterparts, namely several traditional recipes, and saw how there are common approaches in the European gastronomy.

English was the working language, so they practiced their language skills intensively.

More information can be obtained from the project’s coordinator, Mrs. Giuseppina Botta (giuseppinabotta@gmail.com)