Projet Background: The orientation of our vocational high school towards trade in a broad way, meets the demands of our labour pool employers for whom the knowledge of professional and cultural practices as well as the proficiency of a foreign language are real assets, given the ever-increasing number of customers and foreign users. Companies are looking for professionals, whether they are sedentary or itinerant sellers or reception agents, who are able to welcome and advise clients, to develop a customer base and build loyalty with demanding customers. Our students have a low level of proficiency in languages, and even if they are trained in professional skills, they are not prepared for this transnational evolution. They fear finding themselves in an unknown environment that will require them to adapt to the new situations. Our objectives: - Have our young Europeans follow a training course in a European Union country as part of their school curriculum; - Motivate our students, give them confidence and make them aware of the need to plan positively for the future; - Make the European citizenship concept grow in our young’s mind; - Develop: knowledge (for passing the exam), skills and know-how (for successful integration into working life) and existential competences (for a smooth adaptation to social life). - Encourage exchanges and build a network of partners with businesses and schools; - Encourage further studies for our students in Europe; - Improve our students’ employability. Number and profile of the participants: - 14 students from European section: a group of 6 students targeting Spain and a group of 8 students targeting English-speaking countries. Our specificity is to unite, in a single section, students preparing the 3 BTEC offered in our educational institution: Sales, Retail and Customers Relationship, that’s why we set up cross-cutting projects. Description of the activities: Our activities have been spread over the total duration of the project: • Professional activities: - IN A EUROPEAN CONTEXT: - Introduce oneself; find out more about companies and their trade environment; characterize the welcoming procedures of the customers / users. - Welcome the clients and provide customer care, inform, advise, direct, and find out the needs of the client. Present a commercial offer; conclude and retain customers. - Study a brand trade policy; identify the procedures for recruitment in Europe; reply to a job offer; participate in a job interview; report one’s mobility abroad. • Cultural activities: - Visit:“la Maison Jean Monnet”; theatrical play in English; eTwinning projects; school exchange with the Spanish secondary school of Requena (pairing). - Study of the European institutions (visit of the European Parliament); The Europe Day Celebration. - Cultural visits during the mobility. The activities carried out enabled to raise the student’s awareness of the professional environment in a European context. In addition, cultural activities helped to raise awareness of the European citizenship concept and develop their citizenship spirit at a European level. We have also chosen, in agreement with the education inspector, to make our students work on a topic directly related to the diplomas prepared and common denominator of the 3 BTEC frames of reference: THE TRADE POLICY OF COMPANIES located in Spain, UK and France. All activities have been prepared by the entire educational team (teachers and administrative staff) to develop common progressions and overall consistency in their implementation. Impact and results: This project allowed students to discover that the business practices are based on customs and lifestyles that differ according to countries: working hours for instance or the forms of communication within the company were slightly different. They have now a better understanding of these cultural and professional aspects and they improved significantly their knowledge of the host country language. Our students were well integrated within their host companies and they may consider working in another European country. Actual long-term benefits: - Sustainable transnational partnerships: the receiving companies are willing to host our students next year - Hiring from partners companies: at this stage our students seeking academic degrees are not willing to work yet. - Further studies abroad with partner institutions: half of our students said they will study for one year or more in Spain or England, but not straight away.