The „Closer to Europe II” provides for the pupils of ZSP No. 2 in Zabkowice Slaskie to undergo a 3/4 week-long training period. Thanks to the project, our pupils will have their traineeships in Italy, specifically in Bolonia. Participants will be in their third year of education in our school. The project will be run in school years 2014/2015. The project constitutes an answer to an increasing demand for specialists in technical subjects. Technological progress more and more often requires young people to possess skills and understanding of technological processes, create technical documentation (also in foreign languages). It is also an answer to the unemployment rate in the Zabkowice district, which has been growing since 2008, and currently is estimated at almost 23% (according to data released by GUS, in December 2012). It results from a poor qualifications of many potential employees, who are not able to adapt to the present needs of the local labour market. Currently Zabkowice is a part of Special Economic Zone of Walbrzych, which causes a significant increase in demand for specialists in several technical subjects. However, employees hired by the companies situated in Zone has to be highly-qualified, able to work in international teams, speaking foreign languages. On this stage of their education, the pupils of ZSP have gained basic knowledge and abilities. It seems necessary, however, to broaden their practical skills related to subjects taught at our school. Taking into account that familiarity with foreign markets is increasingly important, training periods completed abroad will constitute additional advantage on the local and regional labour markets. It can be clearly assumed that the most important goal of this project is to improve skills and professional competence among our school’s pupils. It is also supposed to let them gain additional knowledge and become familiar with working in an international environment. Throughout the period of their participation in the project, the pupils will be under constant supervision of mentors, both on our part (while the participants are still in Poland), and on the part of our foreign partners (during the training period). Below we list some expected results of the project: - improving our pupils’ knowledge and skills in the field of their vocational education - improving teamwork skills - improving language skills - preparing them for work in an international environment - increasing their awareness of benefits stemming from non-school education and learning foreign languages - increasing their chances of finding a good job after graduating from our school (assessing this aspect of the project will not be possible until a couple of years after completion of the project) - increasing their self-confidence and self-esteem Furthermore, our project will produce a surplus value in the form of: - increasing our pupils’ social skills through participation in a month-long training period in an international team - reaching groups threatened by social exclusion – a significant percentage of our pupils comes from rural areas or single- parent families – and showing them possibilities of personal and professional development, thus convincing them they can improve their family situation - promoting the concept of traineeships in EU countries among other schools in Zabkowice district, as well as schools in the whole region of Lower Silesia - giving participants a chance to create international acquaintances and friendships