Aquitapro
Start date: Jun 1, 2014,
End date: May 31, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
The Aquitapro project has been envisioned on a larger scale than your typical mobility program: the Gustave Eiffel college in Bordeaux has curated an AIT (Additional International Training) aimed at students having obtained a “Baccalauréat Professionnel”, a “Mention Complémentaire” or a “Brevet de Technicien Supérieur”, within the Aquitaine Limousin Poitou-Charentes region.
The participants are pre-selected and prepared, prior to the program, by their previous college. Before joining the AIT, the students are received by the European Mobility Service, in order to support them in their career plan and evaluate their language skills.
Indeed, a training program surpassing basic level requirements is organized by the European Mobility Service. This training includes linguistic and cultural preparation, prior to departure for the internship, packaged into seminars and an online training platform supported by native speakers.
During the first seminar, if the students haven’t yet found an internship, support will be provided via our network made up of European companies in all fields who are more than willing to welcome interns.
The hosting company has to fit certain criteria, concerning the internship: the 6 month training must offer a true added value and match students’ career plan in the best possible way. Once the hosting company has been chosen, the European Mobility Service will send and receive the internship agreements.
Upon returning, a third seminar is organized for students, in order to support them in the restitution of their experience: a capitalization of the latter is set up, enabling the valorisation of their knowledge and know-how. A follow-up in the form of an oral exam and an award ceremony is set up after the last seminar under supervision from the programs’ authority.
The Aquitapro projects’ main focus is youth employment. The transversal competencies, such as adaptability, independence and foreign language skills are essential in order to ensure sustainable integration of young people (18-25 years) in the labor market. Furthermore, foreign training brings valuable professional skills, creating an authentic experience.
We answer the local companies’ need for competencies, and provide career opportunities for youngsters who from time to time come from underprivileged backgrounds. We noticed that such an experience reinforced self-confidence, and fuelled the students’ career or scholar ambitions.
Our results are encouraging: among the 110 participants, 54 have decided to join the job market (In France or abroad), and 56 have decided to continue their studies. During the initial interview, prior to departure, only 30% considered continuing their studies; this alone proves a new found frame of mind and maturity after having discovered the corporate world during this long-term mobility.
Furthermore, our students found that the AIT title sparked the recruiters’ curiosity. The added value on their career path, linked with the Europass, were among the expected results.
Our ambition is to develop our participants the ability to evolve and adapt on the job market in a fully autonomous way, to help them accomplish themselves through employment and fulfil their potential. Our aim is to provide opportunities to allow candidates to achieve their aspirations.