(Overall Strategy)

The Institution agrees to publish this overall strategy (all three parts) on its website within one month after the signature of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education by the European Commission.

Please describe your institution's international (EU and non-EU) strategy. In your description please explain a)how you choose your partners, b) in which geographical area(s) and c) the most important objectives and target groups of your mobility activities (with regard to staff and students in first, second and third cycles, including study and training, and short cycles). If applicable, also explain how your institution participates in the development of double/multiple/joint degrees. (max. 5000 characters)

Original language [EN]

Leioa Hospitality and Catering College, from now on EHL, is a vocational training school aimed to supply well trained food and drink managers within the “Tourism and Hospitality” and “Food Manufacturing” sectors. To achieve this goal we continuously update our resources and our commitment with excellence, quality and research and sustainability by means of a planned strategy or roadmap.

Our mission is to ensure our students an excellent theoretical and empirical training in the hospitality and catering trades within the Basque Country State Schools framework focusing in capacity building for regional development.

The following awards that the school has obtained these past years are evidence of our ongoing commitment:

ISO 9001 (scope: compulsory education and food manufacturing).

ISO 14001 on environmental management.

UNE 167000 according to the Spanish Quality Excellence Standards for Catering Service.

In 2011 we were awarded third prize by the Ministry of Education and Science for "Quality and Innovation in short cycle Vocational Training" for the development of didactic contents through the school web-page http://www.hostelerialeioa.hezkuntza.net/web/guest.

Our Governing Bodies:

EHL has a management body with a Principal, two Deputy Heads and a Secretary that ensures implementation of the strategic principles set by the School Board. All members of the HEI and the community are represented in the board: students, teaching and non-teaching staff city council representatives and management body.

EHL also has three other bodies of significant transparency & communication value: the Staff Plenaries, the Students' Council and the different Departments Meetings. Finally and key to the well-being of all participants in the European programmes, the European Programmes Coordinator -EUC- (europeanprogrammes@hostelerialeioa.net)

All the above mentioned bodies take part in the procedural strategies at different stages or for different European calls or programmes.

a) How we choose our partners:

When a programme is called from the EU or a Third Country we work along with the following:

- Ikaslan: http://www.ikaslan.net a Vocational Training Schools Consortium

-Teknika: http://www.tknika.net/liferay/web/guest/tknika a Centre of Innovation in Basque Vocational Training

-Ikerlan: http://www.ikerlan.es/site_preview/index.php a Non-profit Technology Research Centre

-Confebask: http://www.confebask.es/corporativa/default.aspx the Basque Entrepreneurial Confederation

First a partner is proposed either by one of the above organizations or by a member or body of the EHL.

Next the EUC and the Principal decide upon the validity of the proposal as with reference to meeting the needs for the EHL roadmap and goals as set in the mission, vision, values.

By meeting the mission, vision or values both partners should at least envisage one of the following: contributing to mutual capacity building in the professional sector, developing cross-border cooperation, increasing attainment levels, or improving quality and relevance in education.

Once the validity has been proven all parties negotiate accordingly and in line with the principles of the Charter to reach an interinstitutional agreement establishing respective roles and responsibilities and committed to shared quality criteria in the selection, preparation and integration of mobile participants.

Then the principal presents the partner to be to the School Board which accepts or refuses the partner and the mobility.

Once the proposal has been accepted at the Board, information about mobility is displayed and candidates are entered.

b) The partner HEIs' and or other institutions' geographical areas are chosen according to:

- Language criteria, we prefer geographical areas where English, French, Portuguese and Italian are spoken and when it's the case with some students German as well.

- Know-how development criteria, we focus in those areas where our students can develop different skills related to the hospitality and catering sector.

- Vicinity criteria, we consider that for the sake of sustainability in the case of long term projects vicinity is a bonus since it acts as a mobility facilitator as well as promoting blended mobility.

c) Our School Charter sets as one of our aims to promote individual development as well as whole-person education seeking equality, part-taking, respect and pluralism. All members within the school community are target groups of our mobility activities regardless gender, place of birth, mother-tongue, race, disabilities, economic reasons, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, etc.

So far all of our mobility activities have been interneeships of our students in EU countries under KEY Action 1.

We aim to participate in as many as possible activities in future whether be within Europe or to and from Third Countries under KEY action 1, 2 and 3.

If applicable, please describe your institution's strategy for the organisation and implementation of international (EU and non-EU) cooperation projects in teaching and training in relation to projects implemented under the Programme. (max. 2000 characters) Original language [EN]

We have not so far taken part in any cooperation projects under the ECHE, but we have had some experience with EU countries and Third Countries outside the charter, we here give a short summary of those experiences.

a) EHL and Chambres de Métiers et de l'Artisanat de Pyrénées Atlantiques cooperate with staff and students mobility in equal terms with the aim to develop capacity building and know-how with neighboring countries. http://www.poctefa.eu

b) EHL and some Nicaraguan HEIs cooperate with teachers' stays in both countries to work and observe different practices and know-how and to develop capacity building with Third Countries.

The following would be the procedure to implement our cooperation projects under the ECHE:

1. Any member from EHL community or from an outside enterprise, NGO or HEI may contact the project coordinator, whether be face to face or by email europeanprogrammes@hostelerialeioa.net, and suggest a possible cooperation project.

2. Validity, feasibility and sustainability for the proposal would be analyzed by all parties, the HEIs involved including IKASLAN and the ECHE agency in the Basque Country, if needed also Spain and Brussels.

3. A fair and sustainable cooperation agreement would be signed by the different institutions be EU enterprises / NGOs, chartered HEIs.

4. Once the proposal has been proved feasible and sustainable in the long term the Principal, the European Projects Coordinator or the Deputy Head would present it to the target group that may be subject of the mobility or cooperation and/or to the whole community.

5. The process would from here onwards follow that which has been said on this document on part C: General Organization.

Please explain the expected impact of your participation in the Programme on the modernisation of your institution (for each of the 5 priorities of the Modernisation Agenda*) in terms of the policy objectives you intend to achieve. (max. 3000 characters) Original language [EN]

EHL has always encouraged amongst fellow teachers, students and other staff an open-minded attitude towards other cultures and culinary and catering know-how expressions and has always kept this internationalization and modernization spirit in the agenda.

By signing this Charter we mean to align with the general objectives set by the "Erasmus for All" call, these being the reduction of early school leaving rates and the increase of 30-34 years old students having completed third level of education to help Biscay, the Basque Country and the partner regions from the EU or Non-EU recover from the crisis and come out stronger with more skilful citizens, lower unemployment rates and stronger, shared-transnational values.

EHL acknowledges the key contribution of mobile staff and students and of participation in European and international cooperation projects to the quality of higher education programmes and student experience. Thus we include 5 priorities set by the EU agenda.

1. Increasing attainment levels to provide the graduates and researchers Europe needs.

2. Improving the quality and relevance of higher education.

3. Strengthening quality through mobility and cross-border cooperation.

4. Linking higher education, research and business for excellence and regional development.

5. Improving governance and funding.

Below we join six specific objectives in Europe’s agenda linked to specific goals in EHL strategic plan or roadmap:

1. To improve the level of key competences and skills regarding in particular their relevance for the labor market and society. Goals no. 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 26 and 27 in our roadmap *

2.To foster quality improvements, innovation excellence and internationalization. Goals no. 11, 12, 15, 22, 27 & 29*.

3. To promote lifelong learning: Goals no. 10 and 27*.

4. To enhance the international dimension of education, training and youth Goal no. 27*.

5. To improve the teaching and learning of languages and promote linguistic diversity. Goal no. 27*.

6. To promote excellence in teaching. Goals no. 16 and 27 *.

No. 27 sets the goal of promoting mobility to raise efficiency and quality performance at all levels. This can be achieved by participating in KEY action 1 which we would like to support and develop 10% per year, thus the expected impact in the whole community would grow gradually.

No. 13 sets the goal of increasing the number strategic partnerships, knowledge alliances with other institutions. This can be achieved by participating in KEY action 2 which we would like to start and maintain in a yearly basis under EU calls, thus the expected transnational impact in partner HEIs, training providers and enterprises promoting employability would be started and fixed.

We hope that in the long run we will be able to participate under KEY action 3 in EU and Third Countries mobility networks aiming at long-term systemic impact, contributing to the effective use of Union tools for recognition of qualifications and transparency.

N.B. * in our roadmap