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Energieeffizienz in Schule und Betrieb
Start date: Jun 1, 2016, End date: May 31, 2017 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The background of this project is, firstly, the increasing demand of international industrial companies for highly-qualified specialists who not only have excellent English language skills but also intercultural competence. The Technical School for Mechanical Engineering in Mindelheim seeks to fulfil this demand by offeringstudents an education which will enable them to gain these skills.Secondly, global energy and climate problems make the participation in this project even more important. Energy issues are in focus all over the world and there is an enormous potential for saving energy. Our technicians will definitely be involved with energy efficiency measures and will have contact to foreign suppliers or customers in and outside their home country in the course of their future careers. This is why it is so important to enable our students, through this mobility project, to gain experience of finding new solutions through the exchange of knowledge and the development of their problem-solving skills with people from other countries. By staying in a foreign country with a different culture the 28 pupils will not only get practical work experience but will also be confronted with technical problems in a foreign language. In addition, they will have the chance to improve and consolidate their foreign language skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing). Furthermore, staying in another country for a while will increase their intercultural awareness and encourage them to communicate with people who speak a different language and have a different culture from their own. Within the scope of the project the attention of the pupils will be drawn to the challenges which can occur when carrying out a (professional) project in which there are participants from other countries or when taking part in a project in another country. At the same time, their (energy) technical knowledge will be consolidated and they will learn how to find and present energy efficiency solutions and measures. Additionally, the participants from both sides should become more conscious of energy issues which will strengthen their feelings of responsibility for our common environment. In this way, permanent partnerships for future projects can be cemented, the results can be passed on to third parties and others will be encouraged to do the same. The project participants have all completed a certified vocational training as well as at least one year of practical work experience. The Technical College offers its pupils a diverse vocational education which includes professional training (general education subjects and specialist subjects) as well as the chance to gain key qualifications. All the participants also acquire the training supervisor certificate as part of their technical training at the school. For this, they are required to take part in a 40-hour energy efficiency course certified by the German Chamber of Commerce for which they must pass a final exam. At first, the participants will do a week’s intensive course in English in the partner country including an examination at the end of the course. This course will also provide them with the necessary technical terms. During the second week of the participants’ stay in the UK it is planned to carry out an “Energy Efficiency Day” for different classes at the host school. This will be based on the knowledge the students gained from their last action/measure which was the creation of an energy efficiency catalogue. The participants will plan, organise and afterwards evaluate this action. A variety of activities relating to the cooperation with the SCC college students, facility management staff, administration staff and the college management will be necessary for the preparation of this action/measure and all kinds of conversational situations in the foreign language, English, will evolve. The German participants, divided into small groups, will be responsible for introducing a variety of energy efficiency-related topics at different workstations and they will organise activities which should take place at different, topic-related places at the school.Afterwards, the participants' results from the individual days will be collected, evaluated and recorded in a written report which will be presented to the SCC college management. This will not only give the German technology students the opportunity to practice their technical English and help them to consolidate their energy efficiency knowledge but will also put them in the role of a trainer which are all important skills for their future careers. By publishing and widely distributing the project results, we hope to be able to make a contribution towards more public awareness of the worldwide problem - climate change. In the long run, we hope to motivate the English students to undertake a return visit to our college in Germany.
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