‘This has given me 10 extra years’ – Arthur’s Grundtvig experience
Posted: April 26, 2013 Filed under: Grundtvig, Lifelong Learning Programme, Uncategorized | Tags: active ageing, Adult Learning, digital, Inclusion, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, opportunities, silver surfers day, spring online week Leave a commentArthur Mills age 83, undertook a Grundtvig Visits & Exchanges activity in Spain, where he met other adult learners from a variety of countries, all eager to participate in the “E-skills to change the lives of 50+” activity.
Arthur has always been interested in technology, and the new knowledge gained from the visit to Spain has further enhanced his interest and enthusiasm. Arthur had never used a keyboard until he was 76 but his life has been transformed by technology over the last 7 years.
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 commentEvery 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.
The green side of Grundtvig
Posted: April 19, 2013 Filed under: Grundtvig, Lifelong Learning Programme, Uncategorized | Tags: active ageing, Adult Learning, green projects, grundtvig, Lifelong Learning Programme Leave a commentWith Spring in the air, our latest edition of edUKation explores some of the many green projects supported by the Grundtvig programme over the last seven years.
Dr Nick Owen MBE, Director of the Aspire Trust, who runs the Forests for All, All for Forests project, gives us an insight into how the project connects adult learners from seven partner countries in the teaching of the environment, culture and volunteering, all with a focus on the local forests. Nick explains:
European forests have become for us and the wider partnership, a source of questions, surprises, and many powerful learning moments. Veteran forests, exterminating agents and the effect of coppicing have been a phenomena we have learnt about which act as a constant reminder of the power that forests have over our minds, bodies and psyches.
From the project’s recent partner meeting in Vilnius in Lithuania, the participants were inspired to produce a range of artistic products reflecting their visit including the following poem:
Artist Knowledge: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Knowledge of the first kind is the stats,
the dates, the measurements.
The what, the when, the where.
Knowledge of the second kind
is the interpretations,
the rational analysis of observable events.
The scientific, analytic, predictive.
The regulatory, the politic.
The how, the whether.
Artists knowledge is knowledge of the third kind.
Sensory and sensitive,
Intuitive and imaginative,
Magical and miraculous.
Generating meaning and stories
which bestow ownership of knowledge of the first kind
and give purpose to the knowledge of the second kind.
The what-if? The why? The If-not, then why-not?
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Ecorys supports Apprenticeships – part 2
Posted: April 18, 2013 Filed under: Apprentices, Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Mobility, Uncategorized | Tags: Apprenticeships, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, mobility, National Apprenticeship Service, vocational education Leave a commentIn this second part of our blog on supporting Apprenticeships, we look at how we engage with activities taking place in National Apprenticeship Week. As well as tweeting about our project news linked to the themes of week, our colleague Michele attended a key event in London:
I was lucky enough to be invited to the fourth International Conference hosted by the National Apprenticeship Service, which is one of the many events held to celebrate this year’s National Apprenticeship Week. And celebrate really is the right word for it! From the opening remarks, the conference instilled a great sense of pride amongst delegates for working with apprentices, and supporting people to reach their full potential.
Ecorys supports Apprenticeships – part 1
Posted: April 18, 2013 Filed under: Apprentices, Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Mobility, Uncategorized | Tags: apprentices, international, Leonardo Mobility Leave a commentHere at Ecorys, we support Apprenticeships in many different ways through our work on the Leonardo, Grundtvig and Transversal programmes.
In 2013, we have gone one step further and we have recently welcomed our first Apprentice, Tenisha Jeffers, into our Lifelong Learning Programme team! Tenisha is studying Business Administration at Birmingham Metropolitan college and has joined us for 12 months as an Assistant Administrator to the Leonardo team.
The Women’s Economy
Posted: April 10, 2013 Filed under: Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Transfer of Innovation | Tags: International Women's Day, leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Transfer of Innovation 1 CommentOur recent blog on International Women’s Day, inspired Sally Arkley, Director of the Women’s Development Agency, to get in touch with news of her project. Here, she shares her thoughts on the importance of supporting female entrepreneurs:
Sharing Your Success Stories
Posted: April 4, 2013 Filed under: Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Mobility, Transfer of Innovation | Tags: award winning, education, leonardo, Leonardo Mobility, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, opportunities, Partnerships, skills, Transfer of Innovation Leave a commentWe do really enjoy hearing from our projects, particularly when it’s good news! We have recently been sent updates by two colleges whose Leonardo achievements have been recognised with external commendations. We thought you might like to hear about them too…