OSAO community members make good use of international mobility, writes International Affairs Coordinator Mirja Hietala in her blog post.
During the past school year, around 120 enthusiastic students and 65 courageous staff members from OSAO seized the opportunity and embarked on new adventures through the Erasmus+ mobility programme. The mobility periods of OSAO community members took them to countries such as Spain, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway.
Our students report that the international mobility period opened doors to new worlds for them. They got to know different cultures and had the chance to practise a foreign language in a natural environment. Our students also experienced what it is like to work in a different corporate culture. Many of our students also completed parts of their degree at a foreign company.
No one had to travel alone, as many of our students went on the mobility period with a classmate. During the mobility period, students collected unforgettable moments that will stay with them for life, including friendships made at the exchange destination. Several groups of OSAO students went abroad for a couple of weeks on teacher-led trips. The shared experiences of group trips will surely never be forgotten.
It is particularly gratifying that our students report that their time abroad has strengthened their self-confidence. This is important for both their professional and personal lives.
Staff exchange develops professional skills
Our staff participated in activities to develop professional skills, such as observing everyday tasks at educational institutions and workplaces, especially in companies where OSAO students complete their work-based learning periods.
Our staff also discovered international professional courses. Four OSAO staff members attended high-quality courses meeting Erasmus+ criteria for developing professional skills.
To quote Antti Rovamo, Director of OSAO’s Kaukovainio Services Unit: ‘No one in their long career has ever regretted participating in international mobility.’ Even a short mobility period provides new knowledge and perspectives for the employee.
More mobility in the future
The post-COVID world has reopened with renewed enthusiasm. Next school year, we hope for even more curious individuals to participate in international mobility. This wish is supported by the recently published Council of Europe recommendation ‘Europe on the move – Learning opportunities for all.’ The recommendation encourages member states to make learning-related mobility an integral part of all education pathways within the European Union. The proposal also covers staff and teacher mobility.
The Council of Europe also encourages us to increase international activities. The EU’s goal is that by 2030, at least 12 percent of vocational education students will have learning opportunities abroad as part of their degree. The previously set goal for 2025 was 8 percent. There is still a way to go to reach the EU target, but there is room for growth. OSAO’s Erasmus+ mobility support provides us with opportunities for this.
At the OSAO level, we are starting international tutoring activities next school year. Through tutoring activities, students can experience internationalisation at home by acting as friends for incoming Erasmus+ students. They can also assist the staff in organising programmes for international guests arriving at OSAO. Our foreign guests always prefer to hear our students’ stories.
Mirja Hietala is the International Affairs Coordinator at the Educational Consortium OSAO.
Written in Finnish by Mirja Hietala, translated from Finnish by Heli Raappana.
