Last week, four of us visited Bilbao, Spain, for an Erasmus+ project training called VET Schools Doing Green. The aim was to increase our awareness, as well as that of teachers and learners, about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The international initiative, "Be Ready At the Work Environment (BRAWE)", is set to enhance the way students prepare for their entry into the labour market. Focused on building students’ courage and self-confidence, BRAWE addresses the challenging aspects of job-seeking, particularly effective communication with future employers, including job interviews.

Four staff members of Kuressaare Ametikool recently visited Moshi, Tanzania, to participate in the kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ Kilimanjaro VET project. The project aims to improve vocational education in Tanzania by providing training and support to teachers and schools.

Staff members spent a week in Moshi, where they met with teachers, students, and administrators from local vocational schools. They also conducted focus groups and interviews to gather information about the current state of vocational education in Tanzania.

As part of the European Week for Waste Reductionlink opens on new page, students from the adult stylist group at Kuressaare Ametikool, under the guidance of Piret Paomees, created awareness posters and textile installations to draw attention to textile waste generated every year.

We participated in the EfVET link opens on new pageAnnual Conference in Rhodes at the end of October.

For me, two main themes stood out: internationalization in European vocational education and the extent of dealing with green issues.

Kuressaare Ametikool was awarded the Erasmus Accreditation Excellence Label in recognition of the high quality of Erasmus+ mobility in the organisation of the last two mobility projects.

"Jobs on Trial" is a simulation of a court hearing with the aim of getting participants to think about an occupation and to challenge preconceptions about it. This spring we will try it out with restaurant professionals.

Created in France and used with different professions, we are developing the method in the Erasmus+ project Pathway to Hospitality, which aims to help alleviate the pan-European labour crisis in the hotel and restaurant sector.

The accreditation is a proof of high quality in international co-operation and guarantees funding for mobility projects for next seven years.

Accreditation is a EU-wide quality token. Same criteria were used all over Europe to evaluate applicants.

“Accreditation is a quality mark for our partners,” said Ave Paaskivi, the project manager for school. “We will look same quality from our partners.”

Accreditation will replace VET mobility charter of the EU.

At Kuressaare Ametikool we knew before that international activities are important for the improvement of vocational education and training.

The first year of the project with endless hours online meetings has clarified this even more. It has also clarified that we do a lot of internationalization that we don't label as such.

Estonian partners of From a Rookie to an Expert project from Kuressaare Ametikool had interesting interviews with experienced teachers and project managers from several VET schools.