From August 21 to September 7, the FCV hosted the mobility activity for learning purposes entitled ‘European Career for Professions With Future’, with the participation of 32 students, aged 16 to 18, and 4 teachers from the School of Business and Accounting ‘Yordan Zaharov’ from the city of Kyustendil (Bulgaria).
The group has lived two and a half weeks in Vilanova y Geltrú (Barcelona), staying at the Hotel César, where they have enjoyed a training experience focused on learning from a reality and a culture different from their own, based on observation and exchange with professionals and experts from various economic and productive sectors of the city, whom they have met first-hand, while visiting some of the most relevant spaces in the capital of the Garraf county.
The group was welcomed in the Plenary Hall of the town hall by the accidental mayor Blanca Albà, they got to know the Port (second in Catalonia in volume of fish catch) and its fish market, from the hand of the Fishermen’s Guild, they got to know the Young Office of the county, accompanied by the Councilor for Youth, Adrià Guevara, the Neapolis site, where managers and users presented the different services and spaces that they offer to companies and entrepreneurs. The adolescents, divided into two groups due to sanitary restrictions, also visited two of the city’s main museums: the Victor Balaguer Museum and the Espai Far (‘Lightower Space’), they spent 3 days in Barcelona, they visited Sitges and spent most of their time to know the commercial center of the city and the Sea neighborhood, where they could enjoy the good weather at the end of summer, as well as Ribes Roges Beach, a place where they also participated in games and teamwork dynamics.
The activities proposed throughout the program: games, self-assessment exercises, simulations, case studies, teamwork, feedback and reflection dynamics, perhaps because they were different from those they were used to, allowed everyone will enjoy their time while discovering and learning new skills and having a truly entertaining learning experience.
The students had to make videos, present new business ideas and search for information to solve complex study- cases. One of the results of his research work, carried out in small groups, was to know some of the similarities and differences that exist between both countries on aspects that are part of their studies: taxation, licenses, finances, type of companies and businesses, relations with the public administration and with other companies, etc.
This is the 3rd mobility coordinated by the FCV in the last 12 months in association with vocational schools in the Plovdiv region and the Center for European Initiatives ‘Stara Zagora’ thanks to the support of the Erasmus plus program of the European Commission and the national agency of Bulgaria and, for the third time, we can say that the activity has been a complete success, whether we pay attention to the evaluation sheets and the comments of the teachers, so we hope to continue collaborating with educational centers of the same region in the coming months.
This is the first time that the FCV organizes a training action led by students of management and administration, with the added complexity of being students from 4 different subjects.
Thanks to the challenge we are a little more aware that knowledge about accounting, management, administration, financing, taxation is relevant not only for people who study it and / or want to dedicate themselves professionally, but for everyone (at least in terms of acquisition of basic knowledge) because of its close relationship with the set of civic and civic competences and because of its impact on the economy and personal empowerment.
Once again the non-formal methodology shows evidence to be the ideal complement to the formal one due to its enormous capacity to acquire and improve skills, attitudes and interests, sources of competence without which all other type of training seems insufficient to us.
For more information about the activity, you can send an email to projectes@catalunyavoluntaria.cat