International projects and partnerships

Business Ambulance aims at changing the way VET is currently practiced by implementing a new learning model. In the project students use their business and social media marketing skills to help local SME companies. Students help the companies to improve their business by creating a social media marketing campaign for them. Students have professional teacher coaches to guide them throughout the project and business experts to teach them. As a result, teachers also gain new know-how on social media marketing from the business experts.  
 
Number of participating students: 125 (25 Finnish, 25 Dutch, 25 German, 25 Spanish, 25 Thai) 
Project period: 1.9.2022-31.8.2024 
Funder: Erasmus+ KA2 (Strategic partnerships for vocational education and training) – Opetushallitus 
Coordinator: Mercuria
Schools: Mercuria (FI), Alfa-college (NL), Collegi Badalones (ES), Louise-Schroeder–Schule (DE), Thaiayothaya Business Administration Technological College (TH)
Companies: Kalle Viira Creative Studio (FI), mehnert/paris (DE) 
Responsible persons in Mercuria: Coordinator Katja Nieminen, responsible teacher Eveliina Paunonen 
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJaJXXraXng
Website of the project: www.businessambulance.eu 

More details coming soon.

Aims and ways of doing:

The main aim of this project is to make 90 learners from Finland, Denmark and Estonia to understand what is behind technologies. By understanding the logic of technologies, it becomes also more controllable and makes us feel solution oriented instead of feeling scared or only confused.

In order to achieve the aims we will create, and students will study a blended learning course called

Robotics Beyond Borders (including eLearning, learning by doing with Mehackit maker kit, workshop). By using Mehackit maker kit, students will learn by doing programming and electronics. The Arduino platform can be used with wide variety of components and can be a powerful and fun way for self-expression.

We will organize 3 different course starts with different students. Students will work and learn by doing in

internationally mixed groups and learn also international, business, cooperational and other life learning skills. The courses will include learning by doing workshop either in Ylitornio uppersecondary school (Finland), Tallinn polytechnic school (Estonia) and Køge Business College (Denmark)

Number of participating students (mobilities): 90 students (20 Mercuria, 10 Ylitornion lukio, 30 Køge Business College, 30 Tallinn Polytechnic College)
Project period: 08/2019 – 12/2022
Funder: Nordplus
Coordinator: Mercuria kauppaoppilaitos Oy
Partners: Mercuria Business College (Kauppiaitten Kauppaoppilaitos Oy) (FI) – Vocational College, Køge Business College (DK) – Vocational College, Tallinn Polytechnic College (EE) – Vocational College, Ylitornion lukio (FI) – Upper secondary school (Gymnasium)
Persons in charge in Mercuria:  coordinator Kaisa Paavola, responsible teacher Hannu Köngäs

Read more at https://www.mercuria.fi/rbb/

More details coming soon.

Context/background of project:

As VET schools we should be able to offer motivating and meaningful learning paths for all students with totally different backgrounds, experiences, know-how and dreams. At the same time society is digitalizing and we should find our unique ways of using eLearning in VET and learn to use it as there are big differences between schools. All this has to be done with less money than before due to VET budget cuts in many countries. In this project we will find solutions to these and some other challenges.

Number of participating students: 32 students (8 Finnish, 8 Dutch, 8 German, 8 Spanish)
Project period: 1.9.2019-31.8.2022
Funder: Erasmus+ KA2 (Strategic partnerships for vocational education and training) – Opetushallitus
Coordinator: Mercuria kauppaoppilaitos Oy
Partners:
Schools: Mercuria (FI), Alfa-college (NL), Collegi Badalones (SP), Louis Schroeder Schule (DE)
Companies: Heavenlinen (FI), Maiham (FI), Fab Lab Bcn (SP), Een paar ontwerpers (NL), Skills Finland (FI)
Persons in charge in Mercuria:  coordinator Kaisa Paavola, responsible teacher Mika Orenius, e-Learning Markus Oedewald

VIDEO (description of the project): https://youtu.be/8sVYA5e3vcA

Website of the project: www.cminds.pro
Webstore: https://store.cminds.pro/

The project addresses the opportunity of boosting the confidence and business skills of the young generation who are interested in business and who possess entrepreneurial skills and business thinking. The project will foster the global approach to thinking and support students in developing international business teams and ideas. 
 
Project activities, outputs and results are based on the creation, development and implementation of international business teams and business projects. Teams will bring together young people from Finland, Estonia and Latvia, each offering their own unique, personal and professional contributions to the business team.  
 
In a nutshell, the objectives of the project are to motivate students and boost their confidence of thinking globally, strengthen and support teachers – youth entrepreneurship professionals and share the “Teaming UP” programme throughout the Central Baltic region.  

PROJECT RESULTS

• 12 international student business teams formed;
• More that 60 students took part in international business teams and more that 120 participated in international project events;
• We have developed “Teaming Up” programme Methodology;
• Events organized for the international student business teams: 1 bootcamp, 1 international team formation event, 3 local project informative events, 8 online workshops, 3 inspirational days to local entrepreneurs;
• Students together with mentors attended 3 mentor speed-date sessions;
• International teams took part in developing their prototypes in Valmiera Makerspace DARE;
• International student business teams attended pitching preparation event in Tallinn where they developed their presentation skills;
• 11 international student business team representatives attended  pitching to investors event and presented their business ideas;
• We have developed “Teaming Up” programme Sustainability plan

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

• Creating international student business teams;
• Local networking events within project partner organizations;
• Developed “Teaming UP” programme methodology;
• Team consultations with internationally successful entreoreneurship mentors;
• 8 online workshops and 1 bootcamp (also happened online in February 2021):
  • Workshops for boosting Teaming Up community and business ideas to helo them grow;
  • Customer profile & Marketing 101;
  • Product development and design;
  • Finance planning;
  • Digital marketing and ecommerce;
  • How to pitch;
• Pitching to investors event and Final Conference
• “Teaming UP” programme sustainability plan;

Project sustainability plan
Programme methodology

Watch the introductory video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT41JvjqkF8
 
Number of participating students (mobilities): 60 (20 Mercuria, 20 Valga County Vocational Training Centre, 20 Valmiera Vocational Training Centre)  
 
Project period: 1.7.2020 – 31.5.2022 
 
Funder: INTERREG Central Baltic 
 
Coordinator: Valmiera Development Agency 
 
Partners: Mercuria Business College (FI), Valmiera Development Agency (LV), Valga County Vocational Training Centre (EE), and Valmiera Vocational Training Centre (LV)

Total project budget: 538966,29€
Mercuria’s budget: 234734,79€

More details coming soon.

Project period: 1.9.2017-31.8.2019
Introducing Erasmus+ -projects: Mercuria’s Young Talents:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFxEOAW4ioc

Introduction to Young Talents learning model:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Cn0nrAkNt0