The policy followed over the years by the CIFP Cesar Manrique has been to encourage the involvement of all teaching staff belonging to our school. To do this, and through the goals we had set, we want to keep improving the quality of higher level vocational training, which began with the Leonardo Da Vinci and continues with the Erasmus program.
We want to strengthen the European dimension, year after year, by encouraging transnational cooperation between higher education institutions and enterprises, enhancing the mobility of students, teaching and non-teaching staff among EU member countries and improving transparency and academic recognition of studies and qualifications within the EU.
For these reasons, our first goal, as far as the choice of partners is concerned, is focused on maintaining previous relationships with various agencies and / or European companies: schools with partnerships for exchange of trainees, development agencies which provide cooperation and support in the mobilities of our students, intermediary companies with experience in international mobility and host companies for our students and teachers.
Regarding the geographical scope, over the years we have contacted several intermediary companies, we have channel partners in: England (Plymouth), Northern Ireland (Derry), Germany (Berlin), Italy (Vicenza and Rimini) and Bulgaria (Sofia). Training programs have been agreed directly with businesses in France and England, this has been achieved to a greater extent, through personal efforts of the students.
We had the opportunity to make direct contact with an institute in Germany Bildungszentrum des Handels. For two academic courses were conducted exchanges of students and teachers.
We want to consolidate transnational networks grouping any company, chambers of commerce and training centers, such as ours, in European countries. We intend, through preparatory visits, to find new partners who will facilitate the development of innovative practices in student training as well as transparency and dissemination of the same through the means available to our center.
The objectives to be achieved with student placement mobilities are, firstly, the Erasmus program themselves and also, being a specific mobility program for students in higher level vocational training (short cycle), conducting mobility is linked to the achievement of professional module FCT, the 22 ECTS credits to which it corresponds and the completion and certification of their studies.
In the case of the mobilities of the teachers involved in the delivery of higher cycles of FP for training activities in a European company, the objectives are: to allow teachers to learn from the transfer of knowledge or skills and acquire practical skills, to acquire a proficiency in the required language, to establish contacts for future cooperation experiences, to know and compare the characteristics of business in different countries, knowing the characteristics of the education sector in the host country and to exchange views, experiences and technical innovations with professionals in the production sector.
We also intend, as far as we can, to integrate not only our students, but also potential international students into both domestic and foreign companies.
The emphasis is on linguistic preparation in order to ensure quality of the mobility period and to strengthen multilingualism and linguistic diversity in higher level education.
We will promote equal opportunities between men and women ensuring balanced participation in it, fighting against racial discrimination, xenophobia or physical disability.
In the era of telecommunications, ICTs have been integrated in our center with a view to Europe in order to provide educational resources to share and facilitate their access to the European level. We intend, therefore, to have a cooperation and exchange of experiences between institutions in the field of ICT.
Cooperative relations with institutions and companies are maintained: schools with exchanges of trainees, development agencies that provide support to our students in mobility, intermediary companies with experience in mobility projects and companies that have hosted students and teachers.
For the present, the partnership agreements with these agencies do not correspond to formal cooperation projects implemented in the framework of the Erasmus program. We do not disregard future involvement in organizing Erasmus cooperation projects in education and placements.
Our institution informs the educational community of international cooperation projects in which it is involved. Special emphasis is placed on maintaining relationships with institutions and companies with which it has cooperated, it also offers support and advice to all students and teachers involved in these projects and activities are certified to them in detail.
Regarding the expected impact on the modernization of our institution based on each of the five priorities of the Modernisation Agenda, one might quote the following objectives to be achieved:
1. To increase levels of success to provide graduates and researchers which Europe needs: To improve the language skills of students, incorporating knowledge of other cultures, to engage in transnational teamworks, to meet technological and business reality of different productive sectors in Europe.
2. To improve the quality and relevance of higher education: Developing mobilities in companies that provide added value to the training students and teachers and constitute a source of knowledge, and experiences to enrich student’s overall capabilities and to improve the quality of teaching in the higher cycles taught at our center.
3. To improve quality through mobility and cross-border cooperation: To improve students autonomy at personal and professional level, by supporting new job prospects. To participate in intenational teams and projects, knowing the differences and similarities of the education and business sectors in other European countries.
4. To make operative the knowledge triangle (to relate higher education , research and business to promote excellence and regional development): To promote the development of local enterprises, through the knowledge and training acquired in mobility, promoting, for example a nest of companies in the school. To incorporate to the labor market those higher competences related to knowledge. To introduce methodological models of excellence in the business world, for an impact on local development.
5. To improve the organization and funding: To prove that mobilities, as part of the acquisition of knowledge, are a fundamental requirement for youth, and must be considered essential with economic and investment policies that favor them.
