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Zemědělství Portugalska
Start date: Jun 1, 2015, End date: May 31, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The project Agriculture of Portugal was effectively a continuation of our international mobility projects which had been implemented in previous years as part of the Leonardo da Vinci programme. Through this project we were able to arrange an opportunity for 21 students of our school to gain work experience abroad, in a different climatic zone and with different conditions from what the students encounter in the Czech Republic. Portugal was chosen because of our past experience with the partner organization on the one hand, and on the other hand because of the climate this region offers. The Agriculture of Portugal project was implemented in cooperation with our partner organization Associação Intercultural Amigos da Mobilidade (AIAM), with whom we have had very positive experience from our past internship projects. Our good relations made the management of the project significantly easier. We are already used to clearly defining the project roles and signing a cooperation agreement despite mutual trust. We have done both for this project. The participants are students of the Agribusiness study programme. Applicants were required to enter an open selection process, which was open to all students from the first to the fourth year of study. We did not wish to disqualify anyone only because of their age or even because of their socioeconomic background. 16 boys and 5 girls succeeded in the selection process in the end. The working language of the training programme was English, which lead to an improvement in the participants’ language skills. It was also the first time they have encountered Portuguese. The participants of the Agriculture of Portugal project worked for the period of two weeks directly for the partner organization, which has its own gardens for the purposes of gardening, planting, and park maintenance. The schedule proposed in the application has been adhered to with only minor changes. The programme included: 1) work in the area of determining the technological procedures of growing plants in given spaces – patches and flowerbeds, gardens, crop alteration; 5 working days; 2) work in fruit- and vegetable-growing and in orchards; 3 working days; 3) primary production of planting stock of ornamental foliage, caring for the seedlings, fertilization and business administration of primary production; 1 working day; 4) wine production – fertilization, caring for the plants directly at the vineyard, checking the quality of the harvest, and preparation of the plants for a new growing season; 1 working day. The participants worked for 10 working days for at least 60 to 65 hours overall (sometimes the working day was longer due to the need for completion of the task). The topics covered by the programme also corresponded to the definition of skills required for the Agronomist vocation in the National Register of Vocations. The students were also instructed in health and safety regulations and for the entire duration of the programme they had to observe the school regulations, which was overseen by their supervisor. The work experience was certified by the Europass Mobility certificate, which every participant received. They will also receive the Europass – Certificate Supplement with their school report. The project itself fulfilled the development strategy of our school in regards to international activities and our efforts to supplement teaching with “learning from work experience”, preferably in real working conditions or directly in a garden centre. Agriculture is a traditional line of business in our region and our school endeavours to make this area of study more attractive through innovative teaching methods, so that the agricultural tradition does not disappear from the Olomouc region. The results of the Agriculture of Portugal project were disseminated through our own communication channels but also through the media. The aim was to provide information about our international activities not only to our students’ families, but also to the partners of the school, to other educational institutions in the region, and also to the general public. The project aimed to improve the vocational skills of the 21 participants, as well as improve their language skills and enhance their self-confidence, which has an effect on their future employability and the quality of their job performance. The project participants will utilize their work experience from abroad in their career. We also believe we have contributed to the fulfilment of the goals of the Erasmus+ programme, not only in the Czech Republic but also in terms of the EU. We wish to continue the Erasmus+ mobility projects in the future. We shall further deepen the cooperation between vocational schools and businesses.
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