The essence of vocational education lies in the practical component. Any vocational programme of study that aims at equipping the person with an amount of practical skills and enough background knowledge has at its core a training period away from the formal setting of a classroom. Work placements, carried out in the local industry, add a dimension to the theories that give individuals an insight that academics know nothing about.

On a different dimension lie the international work placements that expose persons in their initial vocational training to a whole new world and give an unparalleled added value to the training period. These results are achieved when international work placements are studied, planned and managed by competent persons.

This project is a tool and bridge for other projects. It is a bridge that brings together training providers in different European countries and thus in different industrial settings. The diversity in the background of the various partners ensures the creation of unique, alternative and extremely interesting training agreements between the partners. The agreements create a good solid base on which future international projects can be planned. A partnership that understands the specific situations and needs of the partner organisation ensures successful projects.

The first aim of this project was to reach out to new international partners. To create a network of colleges and organisation who know MCAST, who believe in the way we deliver vocational education and thus who are ready to be our partners in future projects.

The second aim is to learn from our partners about the delivery of study programmes, the working methods of different firms and the management practices of various organisations. The final aim is agreements between MCAST and the hosting organisations that govern a number of future Leonardo da Vinci projects.