September is usually time to go back to school, but this is not the case for some of the professional schools in our area. Sixteen students, enrolled at the Institutes "Giovanni Penna" and "Piera Cillario Ferrero", have in fact gone to Netherlands and France for a one-month training experience. Students going to Groningen, in particular, will refine their skills in the hotel sector, while those leaving for Bordeaux will be called to practice in the bakery and tourism sectors.

These mobility experiences are part of the larger "SMART Mobility - Move better, learn faster" project, of which APRO is the leader. Over the last two years, SMART Mobility, funded by the Erasmus + program, has allowed 173 students from schools in our area to spend a month of internship abroad. In addition to APRO, the CNOS (Bra), the IPSIA Castigliano (Asti), the IIS Umberto I (Alba), the IIS Mucci (Bra), the IIS Cillario (Alba) and the IIS Penna (San Damiano d'Asti).

There were a total of 9 mobility destinations in 5 European countries (Malta, Germany, France, Netherlands and Spain) and for 10 different professional sectors (mechanical, electrical, clothing, motor vehicle repair, hairdressing, bakery and confectionery, catering, hotel, tourism, agriculture).

All the hours of internships carried out during the mobility are recognized as part of the training (or alternating school-work) hours foreseen by the training courses of the students.

Each participant has also benefited, prior to departure, an intensive course to improve their knowledge of the language of the destination country; the course, conducted with a communicative approach, was modeled on the specific needs of each professional sector.

These experiences of mobility represent fundamental opportunities - often unique - to foster the acquisition of a sense of European citizenship and for integration into increasingly multi-cultural and dynamic social and working contexts, both in Italy and abroad. They also allow the acquisition of knowledge and respect for other cultures and promote individual autonomy and responsibility. They therefore represent an opportunity, no doubt, of personal growth as well as professional growth.