Exploring ECVET in Leonardo Mobility – an Expert’s view
Posted: April 23, 2013 Filed under: Leonardo, Mobility | Tags: apprentices, ecv, ECVET, education, european commission, Leonardo Mobility, Lifelong Learning Programme, mobility, vocational education Leave a comment »Every year we fund UK organisations to send vocational trainees to undertake work placements in another European country. Thanks to Leonardo Mobility funding, thousands of participants have benefitted from a period abroad. This experience is often life-changing for participants as it can boost their confidence, independence and open their eyes to new opportunities. But what about participants’ professional skills, how can these be recognised?
Recognising Learning
The European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) is a set of principles that can be used in any overseas work or volunteering placement. It aims to help recognise the skills that a participant has gained so that they can count towards a qualification in their home country. You may have read our ‘Using ECVET in Leonardo Mobility‘ post that explained how you can implement ECVET principles.
Addressing the skills gap
Posted: February 8, 2013 Filed under: Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Transversal | Tags: Changing Lives, Europe, european commission, leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, llpukecorys, Partnerships, Rethinking Education, Study Visit, transversal Leave a comment »Our funding opportunities cover a range of sectors; at the heart of all of them is learning. Learning, improving and developing skills are important not just to us as individuals but to our local, national, and transnational communities.
Whichever opportunity you are involved in, whether it is a Transfer of Innovation project, a Senior Volunteering project, or a Study Visit, you are either developing your own skills or working to improve those of learners and staff involved. Skills development is a key priority across Europe. The hope is that improving skills will help to increase employability and remove barriers to the labour market while stimulating economic growth. Co-operation has been highlighted by the European Commission in their Rethinking Education strategy as a path to address the skills gap while providing the innovation needed to boost the labour market.
Co-operation to enhance education
Many of our projects have already forged strong partnerships between academia and business as well as across regions and countries. As part of our Changing Lives series we spoke to one such organisation, Embrace Cooperation, about how they work to enhance education and training: Read the rest of this entry »
Centralised actions, a closer look
Posted: January 24, 2013 Filed under: Centralised projects, Lifelong Learning Programme | Tags: Centralised action, european commission, funding, Isabel project, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, llpukecorys, social media 1 Comment »You might be familiar with the majority of funding available through the Lifelong Learning Programme such as Leonardo Mobility, Transversal Study Visits or a Grundtvig Partnership, however there is also funding available through the LLP that is managed directly by the European Commission. This funding is often referred to as centralised actions.
Applying and running a centralised action can often be the next step for promoters that have run successful large scale co-operation projects such as Transfer of Innovation. Usually running over three years and involving at least three partners these centralised actions need an experienced and dedicated partnership to ensure a successful project, one that doesn’t just bring benefits to those immediately involved but also has a wider impact for all of Europe.
The Isabel project
One of these projects is the Isabel (Interactive social media for integration, skills bartering, empowerment and informal learning) project, funded by Key Action 3 to raise awareness, and enhance learning experiences, through Information Communication Technology. The Isabel project is co-ordinated by Roy Smith of MRS Consultancy in the UK, an experienced promoter who has worked on many projects funded by all actions of the LLP. It was this experience which was an incentive, and a help, during the project: Read the rest of this entry »
Using ECVET in Leonardo Mobility
Posted: January 14, 2013 Filed under: Apprentices, Leonardo | Tags: Ecorys, ECVET, ECVET Experts, education, european commission, Leonardo Mobility, Lifelong Learning Programme, Partnerships, Transfer of Innovation, vocational education 1 Comment »You may have read our recent post about the free help and support available to organisations to understand ECVET (European Credit system for Vocational Education & Training). Last month eight organisations running Leonardo Mobility projects attended a free workshop in Birmingham, organised as part of ECVET Experts, to find out how they can recognise their learners’ achievements using ECVET principles.These are largely students involved in initial vocational training or work-based learning. Anyone involved in Leonardo Mobility can use ECVET principles in their projects. Read the rest of this entry »
European Year of Citizens
Posted: January 9, 2013 Filed under: Lifelong Learning Programme | Tags: Active citizenship, Citizenship, Europe, Europe 2020, european commission, European Year, EY2013 1 Comment »2013 is the European Year of Citizens. Launched by the European Union, the EY2013 will raise awareness of citizen’s rights and explore their vision for Europe.
It is the chance for everyone to understand their rights and the opportunities available to them, such as living and working anywhere within Europe.
The activities throughout the European Year will be organised at a grass-roots level, by citizens and civil society organisations. There is also an extensive resource library as part of the European Year website which provides more information on the Year and being mobile in Europe: http://europa.eu/citizens-2013/en/resources-library
It’s about Europe, it’s about You
For me, this European Year, and why it is important, is summed up by its tagline: ‘It’s about Europe, it’s about You.’
This is my, your, and everyone’s, chance to add our voices to the debate: http://europa.eu/citizens-2013/en share your views on the rights we all currently have and where we all want the EU to be by 2020.
Thematic Networking: Learning From Each Other
Posted: November 13, 2012 Filed under: Thematic Networking | Tags: Ecorys, ECVET, ECVET Experts, education, Europe, european commission, Leonardo Mobility, Lifelong Learning Programme, thematic networking, vocational education 1 Comment »Recently we wrote about our forthcoming Thematic Networking event. At each of these events we invite a range of decision-makers and education professionals from across the UK to attend and look in detail at recent policy developments during the day.
As part of each event we hold a series of workshop sessions that look, in detail, at four cross-cutting themes. The discussions during these workshops will inform future decisions with the wider professional networks of the group, both in the UK and across Europe. While attendance at these events is by invitation only, everyone who recieves funding from our projects can still get involved by reading, and disseminating, the outcomes from the event. Read the rest of this entry »
Thematic Networking event: active citizenship, employability and an ageing UK
Posted: October 24, 2012 Filed under: Thematic Networking | Tags: active ageing, Ecorys, education, Europe, european commission, EY2012, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, thematic networking 1 Comment »You may have read Emma’s recent post on Older People’s Day on the 1 October and the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (EY2012). What does an ageing population mean to the UK? What does it mean for employability and active citizenship? Our next Thematic Networking event will look into this topic in more detail from a UK perspective.
The forthcoming event, at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London on the 29 November, will bring together over 60 policy makers and Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) project practitioners. Delegates will have the opportunity to hear from Brian Keating, from the Department for Work and Pensions , on work currently being undertaken on active ageing by the UK Government. Read the rest of this entry »
Is enough being done to support an ageing Europe?
Posted: October 1, 2012 Filed under: Grundtvig, Lifelong Learning Programme | Tags: active ageing, Adult Learning, Europe 2020, european commission, EY2012, Inclusion, intergenerational learning, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, llpukecorys, senior volunteering 1 Comment »Today we celebrate Older People’s Day across Europe, as it is also the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (EY2012) it is the chance to raise awareness of the issues, challenges and barriers facing the older generation.
Picture of an ageing Europe
It has been well researched that the population of Europe is an ageing one, and people of 60, 70, 80 or above still make a valuable contribution to our local, regional and national communities. There are more people in the UK that are of a pensionable age than there are at school, across Europe life expectancy is rising while the number of people being born is decreasing. Initiatives such as the EY2012 and Older Peoples day are helping to raise awareness of our older generation and how the generations can work together for the benefit of all.
I can take, for example, my own parents who have both recently turned 60, both are still active and still in work but if they suddenly faced unemployment, how easy would it be for them to remain active citizens? Well, I know from the funding we provide as the National Agency that they could be involved as Senior Volunteers through Grundtvig funding. If they wanted to return to employment the default retirement age is being phased out in the UK so would mean that they could continue to work as long as they were fit and healthy, they would also be protected against age discrimination through the Equality Act. Read the rest of this entry »
2013 Call for Proposals released
Posted: August 6, 2012 Filed under: Lifelong Learning Programme | Tags: Assistantships, Ecorys, Europe, european commission, funding, grundtvig, in-service training, Leonardo Mobility, Lifelong Learning Programme, llpukecorys, mobility, Partnerships, senior volunteering, study visits, Transfer of Innovation, transversal, Visits & Exchanges 2 Comments »The 2013 Call for Proposals has been released, this is the last year that you can apply for funding for the Leonardo, Grundtvig and Transversal programmes. You can find the latest information on the Call on our websites:
As part of the Call for Proposals, the European Commission and the UK National Agency, produce a set of priorities. These specify who can apply for funding and also the aims and objectives for potential applicants. Understanding these priorities and taking them into consideration will help you to create an application that is more likely to receive funding:
- EU and UK Priorities for Leonardo
- EU and UK Priorities for Grundtvig
- EU and UK Priorities for Transversal
Thinking of applying?
If you are thinking of applying but are new to LLP funding why not attend one of our Information Days? They are a great way to find out more about the opportunities available through Leonardo, Grundtvig and Transversal funding and are a chance to meet the National Agency team.
Our Information Days start in September and are filling up fast! Register for an event near you:
Erasmus for All – Update
Posted: July 16, 2012 Filed under: Erasmus for All | Tags: Erasmus for All, Europe 2020, european commission, Lifelong Learning Programme, llpukecorys 1 Comment »Last week the Culture and Education Committee met at the European Parliament to discuss the Erasmus for All proposal further. The debate carried on from first exchange of views that took place at the end of May with several new areas being debated including the introduction of Erasmus Masters guarantee facility, involvement of neighborhood countries, programme management and implementation procedures. Based on these exchanges of views, Doris Pack rapporteur is compiling a draft report on the Committees’ recommendations. This will be submitted in early September and voting will take place in the European Parliament in November.
To watch the video:
To view the current proposal in full:
