An Erasmus+ project or a work-based learning experience abroad does not end when students return home.

In fact, one of the most important phases begins precisely after their return.

This is the moment when the school should collect what has been experienced, assess the skills developed, document the results and transform the international experience into real educational value.

Many schools invest time and energy in planning, choosing the destination, selecting the partner, preparing documents and managing departure.

All of this is essential.

But if, after return, there is no serious work on assessment and valorisation, an important part of the value risks being lost.

For this reason, knowing how to assess skills after Erasmus and work-based learning abroad is now a key topic for teachers, school leaders and international mobility coordinators.

Mobility should not be considered only as an experience lived by students.

It should become a resource for the whole school.

Summary

After Erasmus+ and work-based learning abroad, schools should assess the skills developed by students, collect feedback, document the experience, disseminate results and connect mobility with guidance, curriculum and personal growth. A strong post-return phase helps turn international mobility into real educational value.

Why the return phase is so important

When students return from an international mobility experience, they are often full of emotions, stories, images and impressions.

They have experienced new situations.

They have spoken a foreign language.

They have engaged with different contexts.

They have managed unexpected situations.

They have developed autonomy.

But all of this needs to be reviewed, organised and turned into conscious learning.

Without a well-structured return phase, students may perceive the experience simply as a trip.

With an effective post-return phase, however, they can better understand what they have learned and how those skills can support their academic, personal and professional path.

Assessing skills after Erasmus and work-based learning abroad means helping students recognise the value of what they have experienced.

It is not enough to say: “it was a great experience”.

Schools should ask:

• which skills were developed?
• which difficulties were overcome?
• what changed in the student?
• how can this experience support guidance and orientation?
• how can it be documented by the school?
• how can it be communicated to families, students and the wider school community?

Which skills should be assessed after international mobility?

An Erasmus+ or work-based learning experience abroad can develop many different skills.

Some are immediately visible.

Others emerge only if the school creates moments of reflection.

Language skills

The first area to assess is language.

During mobility abroad, students often use a foreign language in real-life situations:

• communicating with host families
• interacting with tutors or companies
• asking for information
• taking part in learning activities
• working in groups with students from other countries

This exposure can increase confidence, fluency and communication skills.

The school can assess not only language level, but also students’ willingness to use the language in real contexts.

Personal autonomy

One of the most important transformations concerns autonomy.

Students learn to:

• manage time and travel
• respect rules and schedules
• organise their own materials
• deal with small daily problems
• live in a context different from their usual environment

These skills do not always emerge in the classroom, but they become very visible during an international experience.

Soft skills

Soft skills are often the most valuable outcome of mobility.

Among the skills to observe are:

• communication
• collaboration
• adaptability
• problem solving
• time management
• responsibility
• intercultural openness
• listening skills

Assessing skills after Erasmus and work-based learning abroad also means recognising that many skills that are essential for the future are not developed only through traditional lessons.

They are developed through experience.

Professional and guidance-related skills

In the case of work-based learning abroad, the guidance and professional dimension is central.

The school should ask:

• did students better understand a professional sector?
• did they become more aware of their own strengths and interests?
• did they discover new areas of interest?
• did they better understand what they may or may not want to do in the future?
• did they acquire transferable skills?

The value of work-based learning abroad is not simply “doing activities”.

It is helping students understand their future better.

How to collect feedback from students

Feedback is one of the most useful tools for understanding the real impact of mobility.

The school can collect it in different ways.

Post-return questionnaire

A well-structured questionnaire can help collect information on:

• quality of the experience
• most useful activities
• difficulties encountered
• perceived skills developed
• quality of tutoring
• logistical organisation
• suggestions for the future

Questions should be both closed and open.

Closed questions help compare data.

Open questions help capture more personal insights.

Guided reflection

In addition to the questionnaire, it is useful to ask students to write a short personal reflection.

Possible questions include:

• what did you learn about yourself?
• which difficulty did you overcome?
• which skill do you think you developed the most?
• what surprised you?
• how will you use this experience in the future?

This activity helps students turn experience into awareness.

Group discussion

A feedback session can be very useful.

Students can share:

• meaningful moments
• difficulties
• results
• advice for other students
• ideas to improve the project

This also creates value for the school, because it allows teachers to understand what really worked.

How to document the experience

Properly documenting an Erasmus+ project or work-based learning experience abroad is essential.

Documentation is useful for:

• internal reporting
• communication with families
• valorisation of the project
• guidance and orientation
• improvement of future activities
• dissemination of results

The school can collect:

• student reports
• certificates
• activity records
• tutor feedback
• photos and videos
• testimonials
• final presentations
• individual portfolios
• evaluations from accompanying teachers

For work-based learning abroad, documentation should be aligned with learning objectives and the skills expected.

For Erasmus+, it is important to connect the experience with project objectives and expected results.

How to value students’ skills

Once feedback and documentation have been collected, the school should value the experience.

This means making it visible, useful and recognisable.

Student portfolio

Each student can build a small portfolio of the experience, including:

• activities carried out
• skills developed
• personal reflections
• evidence of work completed
• feedback received
• future objectives

The portfolio helps students explain the experience more effectively in future contexts, such as interviews, university applications, guidance activities or their CV.

Presentation to the class or school

Students can present what they experienced to other classmates.

This has two benefits:

• it strengthens the awareness of students who participated
• it motivates other students to take part in future mobility experiences

Connection with guidance and orientation

International mobility can become a very powerful guidance tool.

The school can use the return phase to help students reflect on:

• personal interests
• stronger skills
• areas for improvement
• possible university pathways
• possible professional sectors

In this way, the experience abroad does not remain isolated.

It becomes part of the student’s growth path.

Dissemination: how to communicate results

Dissemination is a very important part of international projects.

Communicating results does not simply mean publishing a few photos.

It means showing the educational value of the experience.

The school can value mobility through:

• school website
• social media
• newsletters
• open days
• events with families
• meetings with younger students
• internal presentations
• articles or press releases
• video testimonials

Good dissemination helps the school to:

• show the impact of the project
• strengthen its image
• involve families and the local community
• encourage future participation
• value the work of teachers

Assessing skills after Erasmus and work-based learning abroad also means knowing how to tell the story of what has been achieved.

The role of teachers after return

Teachers play a fundamental role.

They do not simply accompany students abroad.

They help students make sense of the experience.

After return, teachers can:

• guide individual reflections
• collect feedback
• observe changes
• connect the experience with school subjects
• support skills assessment
• involve the class council or teaching team
• help students present what they have learned

The post-return phase is also an opportunity for the school to improve future planning.

Every mobility experience should teach something to the institution as well.

Mistakes to avoid after Erasmus+ and work-based learning abroad

1. Not collecting feedback

Without feedback, the school loses valuable information.

2. Limiting communication to photos

Images are useful, but they are not enough to show educational value.

3. Not connecting the experience to skills

The risk is that mobility remains an isolated episode.

4. Not involving students in the return phase

Students should remain protagonists even after they return.

5. Not using the experience for guidance

Every mobility experience can help students understand themselves better.

6. Not documenting properly

Without documentation, it becomes more difficult to value and improve the project.

Post-return checklist for Erasmus+ and work-based learning abroad

After return, the school should check:

Feedback

• student questionnaire completed
• teacher feedback collected
• partner feedback received, where applicable
• critical issues noted

Skills

• language skills observed
• soft skills identified
• guidance-related skills analysed
• professional or transversal skills documented

Documentation

• certificates collected
• student reports completed
• activity records or work-based learning evidence updated
• photos and videos selected
• final documents archived

Dissemination

• article on the school website
• social media posts
• student feedback session
• communication to families
• internal presentation or event

Guidance and orientation

• individual student reflection
• connection with the school pathway
• valorisation in the curriculum
• possible personal portfolio

Improvement

• what worked well
• what should be improved
• which partners should be confirmed
• which activities should be modified
• which destinations should be repeated

This checklist helps the school avoid losing the value generated by mobility.

How Sagitter Training can help

Sagitter Training supports schools, teachers and school leaders not only in organising Erasmus+, work-based learning and international mobility experiences, but also in the phase of valorising the experience.

We can help schools:

• define skills objectives
• build feedback tools
• prepare dissemination materials
• document the experience
• value the results
• integrate mobility and work-based learning
• improve future projects

For us, international mobility does not end when students return home.

It ends when the school is able to transform that experience into growth, guidance and educational value.

Conclusion

After Erasmus+ and work-based learning abroad, the school has a major opportunity: to transform an experience lived by students into a wider educational asset.

Assessing skills after Erasmus and work-based learning abroad means recognising what students have learned, documenting it, communicating it and using it to build better pathways.

International mobility has value when it leaves a trace.

In skills.

In awareness.

In guidance.

In the school.

For this reason, the post-return phase should not be treated as a formality.

It should be an integral part of the project.

Contact us

Does your school want to make the most of an Erasmus+ project or a work-based learning experience abroad?

Contact Sagitter Training to build a complete pathway: from planning to departure, through to skills assessment and valorisation of results.

We help schools turn international mobility into a truly educational experience for students, teachers and the whole school community.

FAQ

What should schools do after an Erasmus+ or work-based learning experience abroad?

After return, schools should collect feedback, assess skills, document activities, organise a feedback session and value the experience through dissemination and guidance activities.

How can schools assess the skills developed by students?

Schools can use questionnaires, guided reflections, teacher observations, tutor feedback, individual reports, portfolios and feedback sessions.

Which skills do students develop abroad?

Students can develop language skills, autonomy, adaptability, communication, problem solving, intercultural awareness and guidance-related skills.

Why is Erasmus+ dissemination important?

Because it allows schools to communicate project results, involve families and the wider community, value students’ work and improve future planning.

Should work-based learning abroad be documented?

Yes. Activities should be documented in line with learning objectives, skills developed and the school’s procedures.

How can students be involved after return?

Schools can ask students to prepare reports, presentations, portfolios, testimonials, videos or feedback sessions for other students.

Can Sagitter Training help during the post-return phase?

Yes. Sagitter Training can support schools and teachers with skills assessment, feedback collection, dissemination of results and valorisation of the experience.