Ex PE rience the R etai L Sector within the E uropean Union (PERLE)

1. ExPErience the RetaiL Sector within the European Union(PERLE) LdV Partnership project LLP/LdV/PAR/RO/070

2. Period approved for the project : • 1.08.2008 - 31.07.2010

3. COORDINATOR:Kaunas Trade and Business School, Kaunas,LithuaniaASSOCIATED PARTNER OF THE COORDINATOR:Chamber of Commerce, Kaunas, Lithuania

4. Project partners: 1. StaatlicheBerufsschule 2 Passau,Germany Associated partner: Metro group Dusseldorf--Germany 2. Institute for Research on Qualifications and Training of the Austrian Economy-Vienna, Austria Associated partner: Austrian Federal Economic Chamber--Austria 3. Kokkola Business Institute—Kokkola, Finland Associated partner: FIRMAXI – The New Enterprise Agency in Central Ostrobothnia, Finland 4. National College forEconomics ”Gheorghe Chitu”, Craiova, Romania Associated partner: PIC Hypermarket Craiova, Romania 5. Niels Brock Copenhagen Business College Copenhagen, Denmark

5. SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT • The project addressed to the vocational training in the field of shop assistants (retail) which is taught in all partner schools • In order to increase the students’ mobilities in other countries and later a better preparation for them/for the trainees as future employees in the EU, the project focused in comparing the curricula in VET (and shop assistant specialty/retail) in the partner countries and making a survey questionnaire at retail companies to observe their demands in customer service and intercultural behaviour

6. Strategic OBJECTIVES • Comparing the VET curriculum in partner schools • Comparing the needs of the companies in retail from the trainees/employees as shopassistants • Sharing and implementing innovative practices in VET--retail sector education • To encourage students learn foreign languages as a part of their professional education and of intercultural dialogue

7. Planned/achieved activities • VET education system detailed for retail profile and translation of VET materials in English • Presentation of specific needs and role in VET of associated partners • Making questionnaires about intercultural competence and professional needs and implemented sales companies in VET partner schools but also for evaluating new materials by stakeholders in VET vocational education-Creating questionnaires about the Intercultural Needs to Be answered by retail companies • Formulation of best practice models and methods and their application in partner schools by making possible a transfer of innovation project / Best Practices examples Observing and Implementing Them in the partner schools in the future by the Transfer of Innovation Project • Each project visit included group meetings, visit of the partner schools, of associated partners and of other retail or sales-oriented factors/institutions

8. First project meeting-Kokkola,FINLAND 4-10 October 2008 AGENDA: • Visit at the host school, Kokkola Business Institute

9. Presentation of the Finnish system of education and the curriculum from retail; discussions with teachers and students from shop assistant specialty

10. Presentation of education systems in each partner school

11. Visit at the associated partner Firmaxi, the supermarket Prisma and Tina-small shop (Kokkola)

13. Second project meeting-Kaunas & Vilnius LITHUANIA 2-8 March 2009 • Visit at the partner school, Kaunas Trade and Business School

14. Presentation of the school curriculumPlanning of the questionnaire for the retail companies about intercultural knowledge

15. Visit and presentation at Maxima Hypermarket and Akropolis , Kaunas

16. Visit at the associated partner, Chamber of Commerce, Kaunas

17. Third project meting Craiova, ROMANIA18-24 May 2009 AGENDA OF THE MEETING: • Visit at the partner school - C.N.E.”Gheorghe Chiţu”, Craiova

18. Meeting with the teachers and the students in retail from school

19. Presentation of the preliminary results of the questionnaires from the retail companiesPresentation of curriculum from Spar Tirol, Austria

20. Visit and presentation at the associated partner-PIC Hypermarket, Craiova

21. Visit and presentation at Metro Craiova

22. Visit and presentation at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry from Oltenia Region

23. Conclusions of the meeting and planning for the next year of the project

24. Fourth project meeting, Copenhagen,Denmark4-11 October 2009 AGENDA OF THE MEETING: Visitat the partner school NielsBrockCopenhagen Business College Presentation from the CEO of the school, Anya Eskildsen

25. Visit and presentation at Føtex (small hypermarket) in Fisketorvet shopping mall (Copenhagen) Visit and presentation at Kobenhavn’sEnergi, Copenhagen

27. Fifth project meeting Passau, GERMANY22-28 March 2010 Agenda of the meeting:

28. Presentation of dual vocational teaching systemTeam teaching lessons and presentation of learning areas (curriculum) of the school

29. Visiting local Bavarian beer producing company Presentation of e-learning program “Iron Star” in Austrian apprenticeship

30. Visit of the company „Saturn” (memberof METRO group) in Passau; recruiting trainees and sales talk in Saturn

32. Last project meeting5-9 May 2010 • Visit at IBW (Institute for qualifications Vienna) • Visit at the associated partner, Chamber of Commerce and Industry • Visit at T – Mobile (apprenticeship training company) • Presentations, debates and final conclusions of the project

33. CONCLUSIONS OF THE PROJECT--IMPACT • For the whole project group • Significant differences inthe systems of education and retail curricula of the partner countries • The questionnaires show similar needs of intercultural knowledge from the retail companies • Coherence of the partnership • Effective communication

34. Conclusions for each partner country (what each partner learned from the other countries) • FOR ROMANIA What Romania observed in each partner school/institution • Regarding VET (in Retail), involvement in international projects, school management, cooperation with social partners:

35. In Finland • Well-organised system of VET education • Professional VET training education in school • Adequate on-the-job learning duration • On-the-job learning abroad through projects (LLP) • Active involvement of partners from business life-companies which host students for on-the-job learning/practice • Support from the school management for projects • Interest for development

36. In Lithuania • Adequate on-the-job learning duration • Active involvement of social partners/institutions in the VET education (Chamber of Commerce) • Active involvement of companies which host students for on-the-job learning/practice • On-the-job learning abroad through projects (LLP) • Support from the school management for projects • Interest for development

37. In Denmark • Adequate on-the-job learning duration • Professional VET training education in school • Modern teaching/evaluating techniques applied to cultural diversity • Interest for development

38. In Germany • Well-organized system of VET education and diverse curricula in VET • Adequate on-the-job learning duration • Professional VET training education in school • Coherent team work and innovative teaching techniques (team-teaching) • Active involvement of partners from business life-companies which host students for on-the-job learning/practice • Interest for development

39. In Austria • Well-organised systems of VET education and diverse curricula in VET • Adequate on-the-job learning duration • Active involvement of partners from social life-institutes for qualifications, institutes of research in VET education • Active involvement of partners from companies which host students or apprentices for on-the-job learning/practice • Active involvement of partners from social life in international projects-institutes for qualifications in VET, institutes of research • Interest for development

40. Benefits for our school in the present and in future: • Models of good practice-Team teaching from Germany (we intend to apply it in the near future in the foreign languages learning groups if possible); we intend to ask for Business English classes to be introduced in the curriculum • Modern evaluation techniques (from Denmark) • Use of ICT (from Finland)-development of computer skills for the teachers involved in the project; we increased the number of computers in school in the last two years and of other technical devices (copy machines, printers)

41. Teamwork examples (Germany, Finland) and examples of good leadership inside the project (Lithuania) and in partner schools provided an enormous benefit in the management of our school • A good quality communication in the project offered a good example of communication for our school • A good example of involvement of social/business partners from the project is being applied/will be applied for our school • Creative ideas and involvement in future projects (TOI application with Finland and Lithuania from the present partnership) • A considerable improvement in foreign language skills (English) and immense cultural benefits from all partner countries