Aims

Four schools, two each from Germany and from Catalonia/Spain, will cooperate discussing the topic S. O. S. (Social Online Service). They will work internet-based, as the members of our society are increasingly connected online. Our project S.O.S. wants to strengthen our youth and also support disadvantaged young people on their way into working life.

Despite improvements in the vocational training market, caused by demographic change as well as a booming economy, the transition from school to training and employment continues to be difficult for a large number of young people, especially for socially disadvantaged and individually handicapped young people. Young people without appropriate school and vocational qualifications are often barred from access to the labour market. For their social, educational and professional integration, however, they often require targeted support that is tailored to their individual life situation. In our S.O.S. project students will receive skills to be prepared for entry into the job market. The planned activities should raise the standard of education of students with only basic skills and knowledge, and eventually reduce the number of early school leavers.

Students are introduced to a variety of tasks they need to prevent impending unemployment, even later. They work with a platform that allows them to experience entrepreneurship on a small scale. Additionally, working with S. O. S. strengthens their digital and communicative literacy. These key competences will open doors for lifelong learning. S. O. S. should also improve the quality of teaching by revising and strengthening the professional profile of the teachers. Our project is intended to encourage the individual schools to use new technologies, to get to know new teaching methods and to implement them. This is to ensure that students are prepared more effectively for their future employment.

We want to increase the cooperation with local communities, authorities, non-profit organisations and companies and want to to share our ideas about the importance of lifelong learning. Working with S. O. S., students have to research the market, coordinate supply and demand, and ultimately evaluate the success of their work. This requires close cooperation with other members of the community and there are many tasks to complete. These require initiative and creativity from the students. In addition, this collaboration encourages the integration and recognition of our students in society, and they can present themselves as useful members of the community.