Here are just a few of the things that we have heard about in the last month:

Congratulations!

We’ve been hearing, via Twitter, about the latest successful applications for Leonardo and Grundtvig funding:

Great news! Leonardo Mobility project approved and ready to go – internships for unemployed NE graduates in Seville, Prague and Cork

— RightAngle UK (@RightAngleUK) May 23, 2012

And another successful @wlv_uni bid into #Grundtvig for Amy Allen and the team – well done from all in PSO! #winning

— ProjectSupportOffice (@wlv_uni_pso) May 21, 2012

Very excited that EU Grundtvig grant is approved for 5 days of international #facilitation training in Cumbria in August! #ToPmethods

— ICA:UK (@ica_uk) May 8, 2012

Congratulations to you all and everyone else who has submitted a successful application! Make sure to keep us up to date throughout your project and we wish you luck during the journey.

iSpectrum conference: Increasing employability for those on the autistic spectrum through serious games

iSpectrum is a 2010 Leonardo Transfer of Innovation project. Focussing on three key areas: autism, employability and serious games, the conference will bring together the outcomes of the project and disseminate them to key professionals within the field.  Not only will there be an interactive showcase of the serious games that have been developed but also a virtual conference for those that can’t attend in person.

Find out more: http://www.ispectrum.eu/index.php/en/news-a-events/events

GreenBristol goes to Romania

This video shows the benefits of meeting your potential partners through a Preparatory Visit.

GreenBristol went on to submit a successful 2009 Grundtvig Partnerships bid and detailed their 4BsHive project from start to finish through their blog: http://4bshive.wordpress.com/. It is a great resource if you are about to start your funding journey and would like to hear another organisation’s experience throughout the project lifecycle

The VAR Initiative

Construcing fences in Romania

This 2011 Leonardo Mobility funded project provides opportunities for vocational educational professionals to access vernacular skills in built infrastructure in a range of countries.  Each visit will last ten days and allow the participants to rediscover the products and processes that have been lost over time within the UK.

Their project blog is a resource for participants that have been on a mobility and that are preparing for their visit.  It includes testimonials of how previous visits have gone and videos of what they can expect on their upcoming mobility.

Find out more: http://thevarinitiative.wordpress.com/

And finally…

While not funded by one of our programmes we came across an article in the Guardian about 90 year old Bertie Gladwin who became a postgraduate at the age of 90.  Proof that it is never to late to begin your lifelong learning journey: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/29/graduated-aged-90-bertie-gladwin

Do you have any project news, outcomes or success stories you’d like to share? Why not tweet @llpUKecorys and send us your latest video, blog post or event?

The online resource is a great way for you to build your knowledge and learn about recent reforms.  It provides an accurate picture of education across Europe and contains more than 5,000 articles that cover 38 school and university systems within the 33 countries participating in the EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme (all Member States as well as Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey).

The website is easy to navigate and is searchable by topics areas , giving you the ability to filter by country. For example you can explore adult education systems in Finland, quality assurance systems in Spain or specific social and economic trends for a specific country. You can also access key legislations information and ongoing reforms and policy developments.  Visit the Eurypedia website to explore the resource further.

Eurypedia is a wiki-based tool and its articles are drafted and published directly by the Eurydice National Units, in collaboration with their respective education Ministries and national experts.

Find out more about Eurydice Network

The Eurydice Network is a European-wide information provider on education, analysing European education systems and policies and contributing to spreading knowledge in the field. As of 2011, it consists of 37 national units based in all 33 countries participating in the EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme.  It is coordinated and managed by the EU Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) in Brussels, which drafts its studies and provides a range of online resources.

What’s new

There are many, many, many things that pop each day that interest us and after trialling and testing there are some that make the grade and we start to use.  Here are some of the new things that we feel maybe of use for you:

• Embedding tweets.  This is a new-ish feature of Twitter and it is a great way of sharing one or two tweets on your website or blog.  We’ve used it to embed your Tweets about Study Visits onto our blog: http://llpukecorys.com/category/transversal/hints-and-tips/
• Su.pr.  This is part of StumbleUpon and the great thing about it is that it lets you schedule tweets and updates to Facebook.  If you are off on mobility or our of the office but still have some key information you need to mention while you’re away this is a great way to make sure your message still gets across.

We’ve also been keeping an eye on Pinterest which is one of the fastest growing social media sites ever.  It is an online notice board where you can pin things that interest you and share them amongst your community.  If you are running an art or photography based project this might be one for you to explore!

What’s next?

Well, we would all love to be able to predict what the next big thing will be (and have the idea for it ourselves!) but with so many things out there it can be overwhelming to pinpoint what to try next.

Why not leave us a comment with what your next big thing is?  Or pop over to our Get Connected community and add your suggestions there.

 Main changes to the Erasmus for All proposal

1. There will be a separate chapter for youth with its own budget.
2. The emphasis on inclusion has been strengthened to ensure access to the programme for people with special needs or fewer opportunities.
3. Minimum funding allocations for the different sectors of education and training have been written into the legal basis for the programme.
4. The behind-the-scenes management arrangements have been refined for greater consistency and effectiveness.
5. The budget for the programme has not yet been decided and will depend on the general negotiations currently underway on the next financial period for the EU.

The full list of changes is set out in the official Press Release from the Council which you can find here http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/educ/130177.pdf.

Revised version of the proposal

You can read the revised version of the Erasmus for All proposal by following this link http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/12/st09/st09098.en12.pdf.

If you’d like to find out more, other useful resources include:

• A short introductory statement on the results of the meeting http://www.consilium.europa.eu/homepage/highlights/erasmus-for-all-investing-in-europes-youth?lang=en
• A webcast of the meeting http://video.consilium.europa.eu/webcast.aspx?ticket=775-979-11232
• A recording of the associated press conference http://video.consilium.europa.eu/webcast.aspx?ticket=775-979-11229

What happens next?

Negotiations at European level will continue. The Council and the European Parliament need to reach agreement on the format of the new programme, and the budget needs to be decided in the context of the ongoing negotiations around the next Multiannual Financial Framework (see more at http://ec.europa.eu/budget/reform/). We’ll be updating our programme websites with new factsheets and FAQs documents shortly, and we’ll continue to keep you posted! Why not follow us on twitter to get the latest updates on #erasmusforall?

What is Adult Learners’ Week?

Adult Learners’ Week is an annual festival, run by NIACE, dedicated to adult learning. Every year it showcases inspirational success stories to promote the benefits of getting involved in learning.   Events are held across the UK by adult education organisations who want to reach out to a new audience, demonstrate learning opportunities and share their passion for lifelong learning.

How are we getting involved?

Not only we will be attending the NIACE National Policy Conference on Widening Participation in Adult Education but we will also be taking the opportunity to share with you some of our Grundtvig projects.

During the week long festival we will be tweeting our case studies that are connected to the themes of the festival as well as writing about our experience of the National Policy Conference in a future blog post.

How can I get involved?

If you have run, or are running a Grundtvig project why not tweet @llpUKecorys and tell us why your project is a great example of adult education?

You can also look at the events that are running as part of Adult Learners’ Week, 12-18 May, and attend a showcase, open day or activity in your region.

Find out more by visiting www.alw.org.uk or following the hashtag #alw12 on Twitter.

If you have taken part in either, we want you to tell us Your Story, through words, photographs or film. We know that studying, living, training or working in another European country is a great opportunity to explore new places and cultures, make new friends and learn another language. However, these experiences also broaden your horizons in other ways and can make a huge impact on your life, education and career. This is what we want to hear about!

With prizes of up to £250 in Amazon vouchers and the chance to see your stories in print and online, it’s a great opportunity to share your story with others.

Get involved today and start thinking of how you can create your winning entry.

The competition is open until 28 September 2012.

Need inspiration?
Last year we created a series of blog posts to help you create your entry, why not take a look at these and get inspired.

•  Tell your story (Words)
• Avoiding the cutting room floor (Film)
• Share your story (Photo)

You can also see some of last years’ winning entries here

Good luck, we look forward to hearing Your Story.

One of the students who took part in the Mobility was Deborah Kirk, a hospitality student at the College, who had the chance to spend three weeks in Lyon working at the five star Sofitel Hotel in their renowned Michelin-Starred restaurant Les Trois Dômes.   Deborah said of the opportunity and her experience:

The Leonardo Mobility WORKS project has definitely helped further my career.  Firstly it pushed me to strive for the required grades to be entitled to the opportunity which made me feel like I had earned my place on this amazing programme.

Secondly Lyon was such a great experience, not just the culture and how France is different in regards to dishes and ingredients but also to how the kitchens are different.  It gave me real insight into living and working in France and how it differs to the UK.

On her return to the UK, Deborah continued with her studies and completed her first year and continued to complete her City & Guilds diploma in Professional Cookery.  The College has found the Leonardo Mobility placements to be a useful method for student retention and achievement, Paul Clark who is the head Chef at Cumbernauld College and helps to co-ordinate the placements said:

The placements are a real eye opener for the students and having the work placement on their C.V makes them stand out from the crowd.  From the College’s point of view it is a massive ‘carrot’ to put in front of learners to promote attendance and achievement when they believe they have a real goal worth working towards.

Thanks to her Leonardo experience, Deborah has continued to go from strength to strength with her work experience helping to give her the confidence to not only start employment at the five star Turnberry Hotel in Ayrshire as a commis chef, but also to enter the Skills for Chef 2011 competition.   Up against tough competition from other young chefs from across the UK, Deborah was able to wow the judges, which included Michelin Star chef Nigel Hayworth, with her creations and highlight her outstanding skills and be named Young Chef of the Year 2011.

If it hadn’t been for my experience in Lyon then I wouldn’t have had the confidence to apply for the Young Chef of the Year competition, nevermind winning it.

I think the programme is such an amazing opportunity to young chefs still in college and shows you with a little bit of hard work what you can achieve. I feel very priviliged that my college was one of the colleges which received Leonardo funding and can only thank the team for giving me this opportunity, giving my confidence a massive boost and pushing me forward in this rewarding career.

I’d highly recommend this to anyone who wants to see a wider view of the catering industry and the many paths you can go down. My trip to France was, and still to this day is, one of my greatest memories.

Deborah Kirk collects her Young Chef of the Year award

Share your experience

We always enjoy reading about where our funding goes and the opportunities that it creates for all involved.  We’d love to share your experiences with all the projects involved in the Lifelong Learning Programme so please contact us at llpblog@uk.ecorys.com if you would like to write a guest blog post about your project or submit a case study to our Projects around the UK map.

For those of you that have already taken part in a Contact Seminar, you will know that they are a great way kick start your application and can help you develop your initial project ideas into detailed project plans.

“The event helped me to shape and formulate my project idea into a manageable project and helped me find partners”

“A fantastic range of organisations have come together to work towards common goals”

Feedback from participants of the November 2010 Contact Seminar – Technology and Learning

This year, we will be running a UK seminar to bring together organisations from across the Europe to address a variety of issues under one key theme, Back to Learning: Back to Work.

The theme comes off the back of some pretty startling figures;

• 23 million people are currently unemployed across the EU – that’s 10% of the active population
• The EU average rate of participation in adult learning is decreasing, from 9.8% in 2005 to 9.1% in 2010
• 80 million people across the Union live below the poverty line

By bringing two focal areas together, education and employment, participants will have the opportunity to develop Partnership projects that can help to address some of these alarming trends.    

Focusing on Leonardo and/ or Grundtvig Partnership projects the event is for those working within adult education or vocational training and education.

Did you know?

You can apply for Preparatory visit funding to attend this and other Contact Seminars across Europe, this covers the cost of attending the seminar and travel:

Apply through Leonardo funding

Apply through Grundtvig funding

About me

I’m Sara and as my first blog post for the LLP, I thought I would just give a brief introduction to myself as the new Communications Manager. I will be carrying on Rob’s good work (thanks Rob) and working with fellow regular bloggers, Emma, Jo and Faye. We will be continuing to bring you all the latest LLP related information and sharing stories from some of your projects. I am still new to the role and the LLP, I am getting to grips with all the programmes we run and look forward to understanding more about the great work that is taking place. At the moment, I am only just seeing the very tip of the iceberg, so please feel free to get in touch (llpblog@uk.ecorys.com) and tell me about any projects you are running – it would be great to hear from you. 

Stanley Miller, from the Third Age Trust, received 2011 Grundtvig Visits and Exchanges funding to attend and speak at the ‘Voluntary Work and the Third Age’ symposium whose theme was chosen to relate and contribute towards the EY2011.

“By undertaking this visit I was enabled to make a continuing contribution to the development of Lifelong Learning and to international understanding in the context of the European Year of Volunteering.”

The symposium was organised by the International Association of Universities of the Third Age (AIUTA) with the Univerista della Terza Eta in Italy. Stanley is the previous president of AIUTA and was invited to speak as part of this role, along with other representatives from third age institutions from across Europe.

“The symposium was a contribution by AIUTA to the European Year of Volunteering and, at a personal level, it enabled me to research and develop an understanding of the value of volunteering, particularly by older people in the UK, to civil society and local communities.

As an individual I have benefitted not only as described above but also I have had an excellent opportunity for enhanced lifelong learning through the discipline of preparing written and oral contributions addressed to a multi-national audience.”

European Year 2012

Not only has the symposium made a contribution to the EY2011 but the discussions around senior volunteering will also contribute to the current European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.

There are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved with the EY2012 and, like Stanley, you can apply for Visits and Exchanges funding to attend a conference around this theme.

We’re always interested to know how you benefit from our funding and would love to hear about your EY2012 experiences, why not leave a comment below or email llpblog@uk.ecorys.com to let us know how you got on?

• House of Lords publishes views on expansion of education and training programmes
• European Parliament’s CULT Committee praises the Lifelong Learning Programme but rejects current Erasmus for All proposal

March has been a mixed month for the Erasmus for All proposal. Support for some aspects of the proposal has been balanced by fierce criticism for others, and the debate looks set to continue over the summer.

House of Lords’ European Union Committee give their support

In the UK the House of Lords’ European Union Committee gave their broad support to the proposed expansion of the education and training funding programmes “subject to reductions being made in other areas of the EU budget and overall restraint being achieved”. In their report on the Modernisation of Higher Education the Committee set out the benefits of the current Erasmus programme and welcomed the integration of all the LLP programmes into one unified programme.

“The Erasmus programme provides benefits to the universities and the students who participate, as well as to the EU as a whole. Not only do students going abroad benefit from their experience, but British universities benefit from the presence of Erasmus students from other countries. We believe that the benefits for students include improved interpersonal skills, language skills, character development, building confidence, increased cultural awareness and enhanced employability.”

You can read the full report at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201012/ldselect/ldeucom/275/27502.htm

European Parliament hold a public debate

At European level, the European Parliament held a public debate on the Erasmus for All proposal on 27 March. Expert witnesses contributed to a fairly negative session which welcomed some level of integration but staunchly defended the current sectoral approach and programme names. On a positive note it was recognised that the current programmes are a success – the European Commission called them ‘fantastic programmes’ – and that everyone is keen to see their good points retained and improved.

Rapporteur Doris Pack (Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education) who has the job of steering the proposal through the European Parliament set out her stall early on, inviting four expert witnesses with broadly similar views to give their reactions to the Erasmus for All proposal. The experts agreed that:

• An expansion of the current programmes was welcome.
• Some level of integration was supported but this should be designed to make it easier for the target groups to access funding and not to make life easier for the programme administrators.
• An entirely consolidated approach was unsatisfactory – everyone feared that it would lead to competition for funding between the different sectors of education and training.
• There should be a sectoral approach to the programme budget with amounts being ringfenced for the different sectors (schools, VET, adult education, HE, youth etc) as in the current programmes.

The proposal was also criticised for a lack of detail and for not focusing sufficiently on adult learning, VET, young people and schools. There were also repeated calls for a separate programme for youth as for sport.

The European Commission, unsurprisingly, defended the proposal calling it “sound and credible”. Unfortunately Ms Pack did not agree dubbing it an “amorphous mass” and concluding that it “promises things it cannot deliver, that it’s not delivering now and it certainly won’t deliver in future if we do what is being proposed”. Ms Pack is due to report in July to MEPs with her proposal for the next generation of programmes.

You can find a recording of the full hearing on the European Parliament’s website www.europarl.europa.eu.

If you’re interested in this topic you can subscribe to our blog for further updates on the Erasmus for All proposal. Our aim is to give you unbiased information on progress towards the next generation of education and training programmes. You can find more detailed information on the Erasmus for All proposal on our websites under the heading ‘Future of the LLP’.