Tartu Vocational College had a successful international academic year

Despite the pandemic, the 2021/2022 academic year of Tartu VOCO projects and mobilities proved to be a successful one. The main highlights of the school year are the accreditation of mobility for 2021 – 2027, an high number of projects, the celebration of Erasmus Days, starting a long mobilities for our educators, masterclasses from foreign teachers, the relaunch of physical mobilities, the international conference #sajagatulevikku, the celebration of Europe Day with 50 foreign guests and launching Facebook Live-events..

In total, 115 students and 38 educators took part in the mobilities last school year. The largest number of physical mobility placements was for students, who had the opportunity to work in different companies and organisations:
– 1 tourism student in Madrid-Hispania (Xarxa FP/Estonian Embassy in Madrid).
– 3 tourism students in Tenerife-Hispain (Tenerife Job Centre).
– 4 hospitality students in Roskildes, Denmark (Zealand Business College)
– 12 students (car technicians, hairdressers, carpenters) in Berlin-Germany (Berlink ETN GmbH)
– 4 junior software developer students in Jena, Germany (Staatliches Berufsbildendes Schulzentrum Jena-Göschwitz)
– 12 students (baker-pastry chef, pastry chef, butcher) in Paphos-Cyprus (M.N EduGate)
– 12 students (mechatronic engineers, automotive technicians, car mechanics) in Kocaeli-Turgis (İzmit Technical and Vocational High School)
– 3 students in butchery in Roskildes-Denmark (Zealand Business College)
– 2 carpentry students and 2 electrician students in Reykjavik-Iceland (FB Breidholt College)
– 4 cookery students in Split-Horvatia (KULIN d.o.o./hotel Le Méridien Split).

In addition, 12 students visited Finland in the framework of the ESF language project and 16 students visited Italy in the framework of the Erasmus+ project “Explopring Europe´s Past, Present and Future”.
An hybrid mobilities involved 12 hairdressing students visited Barcelona-Spain (Institut Camps Blancs/Xarxa FP).
Two IT systems junior specialists visited Zwolle-Holland (Deltion College) and 6 IT systems specialists were Ringsted, Denmark (Zealand Business College).

Electricians from VOCO and Oulu Vocational College worked together virtually. In virtual cooperation were involved students of tourism of VOCO and with the West

This year Tartu VOCO launched long term mobilities for teachers. For the first time, teacher Triinu Sirol went on a long placement to Zealand Business Colleges in Denmark, where, among other things, she had the opportunity to try out the role of co-teacher and to work with colleagues on a new curriculum.
Teacher Elo Õun did a placement in Malta (Ex.Act Malta LTD/Rusk Hair Studio) and Helin Liiv in Iceland (FB Breidholt College), to name a few examples.

Tartu VOCO, in turn, hosted 59 foreign students:
– 7 from Iceland (FB Breidholdt College) / electricians, carpenters, IT, tailor work.
– 5 from Spain/Barcelona (Institut Salvador Seguí / Institut Vall d’Hebron) / beauticians and hairdressers.
– 9 From Turkey/Kocalist (İzmit Vocational and Technical High School) / mechatronics and automotive technicians
– 12 Czech/Karvina (Karvina Business College) / Business and sales managers
– 1 from France/Nantes (Lycee Aragoo) / carpenter
– 25 (from Italy, Germany, Greece and Turkey) – VOCO´s project activities

We also hosted educators providing them with training programmes and teacher shadowing opportunities. Several foreign teachers also gave master classes to our students.
– 6 from the Czech Republic (Karvina Business College)
– 10 from Romania (LICEUL TECHNOLOGIC “ION MINCU + entrepreneurs)
– 3 from Iceland (FB Breidholdt College)
– 3 from Turkey (İzmit Vocational and Technical High School)
– 3 from Spain/Barcelona (Institut Salvador Seguí / Institut Vall d’Hebron)
– 4 From Spain/Mallorcalt CIFP (Francesc de Borja Moll)
– 4 from Finland/Jyväskylä (Gradia)
– 8 (from Italy, Turkey, Germany, Greece)

There were 28 international cooperation projects in 2022, 18 of which are funded by Erasmus+. In the spring, VOCO submitted two new Erasmus+ cooperation project proposals as lead partner and participated in three Erasmus+ central round proposals. One positive decision has been received Tartu VOCO participates in the large hydrogen technology project Green Skills 4H2.