Vocational education and training - in particular the Upper-level secondary technical and vocational schools (BHS) – is an asset of the Austrian education system, which nonetheless faces some serious challenges highlighted by a relatively high rate of dropouts. (source: OECD) Practical experiences, such as internships, can significantly increase the students’ motivation to learn by showing them how relevant the knowledge and competences acquired in school are for their professional future. Thus internships can help to better students' performances in school and can simultaneously help to reduce the rate of dropouts in the BHS. The international / European aspect is a particularly attractive component for internships. The project "Styrian Schools GO Europe!" combines the international / European aspect with the motivation-enhancing aspect of practical experiences. "Styrian Schools GO Europe!" supports students and teachers of interested Styrian Upper-level secondary technical and vocational schools to find work placements abroad. "Styrian Schools GO Europe!" has set itself the goal that as many Styrian students as possible accept the challenge of an internship abroad and make their obligatory or their voluntary internship at a company or institution abroad. "Styrian Schools GO Europe!" supports the students of the participating Styrian BHS to receive the EU funding, provided by the EU-programme Erasmus+; and to prepare, to realise and follow up the internships in the best possible way! "Styrian Schools GO Europe!" is convinced that internships represent a unique chance for students to gain practical work experiences which the Styrian students could not gain in Austria. Here are some strong arguments, from "our", the project partners, point of view, in favour of making an internship abroad: - Strengthened sense of initiative and an enhanced entrepreneurial spirit. - Acquisition of new practical and theoretical knowledge and competences. - Improvement of foreign language skills. - Acquisition of intercultural knowledge and intercultural skills. - Strengthening of social and personal skills. - Creation of personal networks (friends and employer) abroad. - Increasing the chances in the labour market: At home and abroad. And many more. Who is "Styrian Schools GO Europe!"? Here is a list of the project partners of "Styrian Schools GO Europe!" - The Styrian Association for Education and Economics (STVG) as project coordinator. - The Education Authority of Styria with the Service Unit for the European Union - The regional Government of Styria with the Department for European Affairs and External Relations. - LOGO youth management. And here are the 5 Upper-level secondary technical and vocational schools from Styria which participate as project partners of “Styrian Schools GO Europe!”: 1. Bad Gleichenberg Tourism Schools 2. Upper Level Technical Institute Leoben 3. Commercial Academy Grazbachgasse, Graz 4. Commercial Academy Feldbach 5. Upper Level Institute for Commercial Professions Krieglach 23 students of these schools will make their internships abroad during the summer of 2015. Together, the project partners and the project schools will prepare the supporting teachers and their students for the students’ internships. There will be preparation workshops and there will be checklists and to-do lists for students, teachers, parents and for the companies and the organisations where the students will make their internships. The students will receive assistance before, during and after their internships. The project partners will take care of the companies and institutions abroad offering the internships as well. "Styrian Schools Europe GO!" is going to start as a pilot in 2015 and aims to become a permanent offer for Upper-level secondary technical and vocational schools in Styria, their teachers and of course their students in the coming years.