The EuroCons project of Fundación Laboral de la Construcción, belonging to the programme of mobilities for Vocational Educational and Training (VET), through Erasmus+ grants from the European Union, comes to an end on 1 April with the last stays.

Three groups of students (36 pupils) and tutors (seven teachers) from the vocational training centres of Navarre, Aragon and Cantabria have enjoyed a scholarship to stay and learn at the Centro Edile Andrea Palladio in Vicenza (Italy), at the Centro de Formação Profissional da Indústria da Construção Civil e Obras Públicas do Sul (Cenfic) in Lisbon (Portugal) and at the Istituto per l’Istruzione Professionale dei Lavoratori Edili (ILPLE) de Bolonia (Italy), respectively. The first ones from Navarre (13 students and two teachers) travelled in June 2018 and those from Aragón (12 students and three teachers) and Cantabria (11 students and two teachers), this month of March. The training of all students has focused on traditional rehabilitation with special attention to energy efficiency.

Year after year, interest in Erasmus+ scholarships is increasing, proof of this is that this call "has had a very high level of acceptance", according to Luis Vidal, technical engineer of Public Works, expert in Risk Prevention and tutor and teacher of the Professional Training Centers of Fundación Laboral de la Construcción of Cantabria (modules of Interpretation of Construction Plans, and Partitions and Technical Floors). "It is a very pleasant experience for the kids because of the opportunity to travel and get to know another country, other people. In addition, they may discover that what they are learning here is similar to what they see there, which reinforces their European impression of the degree they are studying," explains Vidal.

An unforgettable experience

For Jorge Casanova, a student from Aragón who is doing his Erasmus+ stay in Lisbon and his training at Cenfic, this first formative experience gives him "a different way of seeing the way of doing a work and how it was done before; the way of teaching from the oldest to the newest"; a training of which he is "learning a lot" and that he will remember, according to what he tells us.

Elisa García, a student from Cantabria who is doing her Erasmus+ in Bologna and her training at ILPLE, liked the most: "getting to know Italian cities, learning to live alone and a little bit of the language", although the worst "is that everything is very expensive". And with regard to what has attracted him the most from learning, he points out that he has learned "quite a few painting techniques in Italy, their evolution throughout history and what the future of construction will look like".

Although Jorge Casanova would remove some excursions in order to have more free time after the training day, and to be able to organise himself "at will", he does not hesitate to recommend a mobility, since, among other things, "travelling always opens your mind", as José Manuel and Diego Herrera Mora say, teachers of the Fundación Laboral de la Construcción in Cantabria. Something that has happened to Casanova himself: "it changes the way you see this country [Portugal] so wonderful and incomparable".

Manuel Peg, also from the VET Centre in Aragon, agrees with his colleague that what he likes the most "are the views and how beautiful Lisbon is". And it coincides in the aspect that less: "They don't leave us much freedom". However, it also encourages other young people to take an Erasmus+ scholarship, as it allows "communication with another language and other ways of working, better training in specialised things in each sector and increasing trust with peers".

In relation to learning, Peg stresses that Cenfic's teachers are "charming people" who "treat them very well", with whom they have made visits to "very interesting and entertaining practices".

Erasmus+ stays, highly recommended for students and teachers

Álvaro Verdugo, a participant in Erasmus+ in Bologna from Cantabria, who "would recommend the experience to everyone", highlights "the type of architecture in the area, getting to know different places, new construction techniques, and the benefits of knowing a training centre with a lot of capacity, large and very well prepared". However, it acknowledges that what costs the most is adaptation to the customs of another country.

Also Arturo Escuer, a student from Aragon who enjoys his scholarship in Lisbon, recommends the experience: "as long as you are a person who likes to learn and see the world". In addition, he was struck by "seeing how other countries specialize in construction and seeing the interest in construction outside Spain and the way of learning in Portugal".

On this occasion, not only the students live this experience for the first time, but the teachers who travel with the groups also premiere. Such is the case of Leonor Villaluenga, director of the Integrated Vocational Educational and Training Centre (VET) of Fundación Laboral de la Construcción of Aragon, agreed by the Government of Aragon, who is grateful "for the opportunity to live this experience" with benefits both for the students and for the tutors themselves: "For the students, the possibility of getting to know other centres similar to their own, and different students with whom they share knowledge. In addition they approach other ways of life, different schedules, meals, ways of teaching, in short different ways of living, get out of their comfort and begin to be interested in traveling and learning.

Villaluenga believes that: "For trainers, it is very interesting to see students interacting and interacting with other teachers and classmates, and this experience also allows us to learn about other ways of teaching. We can emphasize that the coexistence during so many days allows us to discover the children in other facets, beyond the classroom and the training center, a very interesting knowledge for our work.
For their part, José Manuel and Diego Herrera Mora, Civil Engineer and Civil Engineer, respectively, and teachers from Cantabria's Fundación Laboral (in modules of Prefabricated Partitions, Tiling and Suspended Ceilings, the former; and in modules of Continuous Coatings, Decorative Painting and Light Coatings, the latter), point out that the experience is being very positive. These brothers agree that the students are responding very well and are fully involved in the programmed activities: "Apart from the practices carried out at the IIPLE in Bologna, we are visiting various interesting places in the city in our free time, even moving to nearby cities such as Modena or Florence," they commented.

In addition, they add that the treatment received at the Istituto per l'Istruzione Professionale dei Lavoratori Edili (ILPLE), in Formedil, "is exquisite, both on the part of the trainers, as well as the translator and the management of the centre".

Evolution in a short time

One of the changes that Leonor Villaluenga highlights about the students who enjoy an Erasmus+ scholarship is the evolution that can be appreciated "from the resistance to the change and surprise of the first days, to the acceptance of the different ways of learning, working and living that they are knowing". He adds that kids learn to "be more receptive and understand that you can and should always learn.
Luis Vidal, who highlights complicity as one of the main advantages: "They are spending 15 days together and contact provokes feedback, reciprocal empathy and practice in the difficult task of learning to listen to the other".

What to do to become a 'Euro Trainees' of Fundación Laboral de la Construcción?

But what do you have to do to become a "Euro Trainees" of Fundación Laboral and enjoy 16 days of Erasmus+ stay in Italy or Portugal? Simply contact your school's Training Coordinator, let them know of your interest and sign up for the next call, if it fits. These mobilities cover accommodation, meals, travel and practical and theoretical training, for now, only for Basic and Intermediate levels of VET in our centres in Aragon, Cantabria and Navarre.

Following the experience, the Fundación's "Euro Trainees" receives validation and recognition of learning outcomes, in addition to the "Europass Mobility Document" and the "Europass Certificate Supplement". Likewise, at the end of the mobility process, each of the host centres issues a "Certificate of Practice", guaranteeing the results of the learning programme developed.

For its part, Fundación Laboral issues scholarship students with an "Assistance and Achievement Diploma", a document for the recognition of the skills acquired by participants during their European learning itinerary. Also, after approval of the various Ministries of Education, formally recognize the hours of internship/learning abroad in the form of credits within its training program.