Key Action 2 guidance now available
Posted: March 28, 2014 Filed under: Erasmus+ | Tags: adult education, Erasmus+, guidance, vocational education Leave a commentAs we come to the end of March, we know that many of you will be working on applications for Key Action 2, and so we are pleased to say that our tailored application guidance is now available under the Key Documents section of the Strategic Partnerships for VET and Adult Education pages on the Erasmus+ website.
The application guidance is there to help you as a step-by-step guide to completing the 2014 Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Strategic Partnerships application eForm for your field. We would recommend that you read this guidance, and please continue to refer to our website before submitting your application.
Further support available – Advice Sessions
We are running one-to-one telephone advice sessions for organisations in vocational education and training (VET) or adult education, who are interested in Key Action 2. Sessions will be available over nine days from Monday 7 April to Thursday 17 April 2014. In order to book your tailored advice session, you will first need to complete a Project Summary in full and email it to erasmusplus@uk.ecorys.com. One of our team will then get in touch to arrange a personalised discussion at a convenient time. A session will last around 30 minutes.
Please note that sessions will concentrate on helping to ensure that your project is suitable for Key Action 2 funding before you submit your eForm application. Advice sessions are not intended as the place to go to for general information on Erasmus+ or Key Action 2, and are best suited to organisations already developing their project. You can read more on the advice sessions page on the Erasmus+ website.
You can visit our website www.erasmusplus.org.uk for the latest Erasmus+ news
Searching for Success
Posted: March 21, 2014 Filed under: Erasmus+, Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Transfer of Innovation | Tags: apprentices, awards, digital, education, Erasmus+, european commission, leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, networking, Partnerships, Transfer of Innovation, vocational education Leave a commentSearch engines provide a conundrum of possibilities that often give you more questions rather than answers; questioning the most appropriate and reliable content to source. For businesses expanding trade it is important to be able to find the right information to understand business culture with your international partners as with students searching for work placements online.
The 2014 European Search Awards celebrates the very best in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Digital and Content Marketing from around the world. So recently we were delighted to hear that a Lifelong Learning Programme project had been recognised as part of the awards. Shortlisted in the category; Best Use of Search-Third Sector is buisnessculture.org. The website is part of the Passport to Trade 2.0, Transfer of Innovation project launched by University of Salford Business School to provide business culture guides. These include social media etiquette for 31 countries, information on online and face-to-face networking and trade, plus not to mention practical advice for students considering placements abroad. Read the rest of this entry »
The importance of citizenship
Posted: March 14, 2014 Filed under: Erasmus+, Grundtvig | Tags: Erasmus+, EY2013, grundtvig, Inclusion Leave a commentWith European and local elections just around the corner, we thought we would share some of the key points from an event highlighting EU citizenship and social inclusion, as well as some exciting news from one of our projects which exemplifies this within the Lifelong Learning Programme.
Celebrating 50 years of CSV and award winning projects
Last week I attended a seminar in Birmingham which included an insightful conversation with MEPs led by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Community Service Volunteers (CSV) and the Open University. It was organised as part of the EU for You Project, which aims to build awareness of the wider concept of EU citizenship and encourage society to engage with European policy-making. Last year the NCVO worked with the CSV to co-ordinate a range of activities promoting participation in governance, basic rights and inclusive citizenship as part of the European Year of Citizens 2013.
The final speaker at the event was Oonagh Aitken, Director for Social Action, Volunteering, Policy and Fundraising at CSV, who spoke about the benefits and impact of some of the organisation’s projects promoting social inclusion. She explained that the organisation, which has recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, is hoping to give more people the opportunity to go abroad and undertake mobilities in Erasmus+.
The Eviva project
The charity recently shared some great news that their Eviva Grundtvig Senior Volunteering project had been voted as the best exchange in the programme by the Italian National Agency. The Eviva project linked CSV’s successful retired and senior volunteering project in the UK with CESAVO volunteer bureau in Italy with the aim of increasing learning opportunities for older people through volunteering.
Each organisation sent six volunteers on a three week exchange with a focus on learning from their partners’ work with disabled people and befriending the socially isolated. One volunteer who works as part of their telephone befriending service explained that she was grateful to learn new approaches from the Italian bureau’s similar service:
“I have learned a lot about the Italian social system, old people’s homes and schools and I feel that I would like to instil the same sense of commitment in the RSVP members in London that I have experienced in Savona.” CSV senior volunteer
The exchange has been included as a star project on the European Shared Treasure database and you can read more about the exchange and subsequent visits on the Eviva project’s website.
For more information about mobility opportunties for Adult Education staff, please visit the Erasmus+ website.
Erasmus+ funding can help apprentices go further
Posted: March 3, 2014 Filed under: Apprentices, Erasmus+, Leonardo, Mobility | Tags: apprentices, Apprenticeships, Erasmus+, ErasmusPlus, National Apprenticeship Week 2014 Leave a comment
Today marks the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2014 (3-7 March), an annual week that aims to raise the profile of apprenticeships amongst employers, individuals, teachers, parents and the media.
Now in its seventh year, National Apprenticeship Week 2014 will celebrate ‘Great Apprenticeships’ and highlight not only the personal career development benefits of apprenticeships, but also the positive impact apprenticeships have on businesses and the wider economy.
As National Apprentice Week celebrates its seven year anniversary, we’re marking the end of an amazing seven years of the Leonardo programme, which helped send over 170 apprentices on high quality work placements in another European country to improve their skills and employability in 2013 alone.
Benefits for apprentices, businesses and colleges
For Deeside College, the Leonardo programme gave them the opportunity to enhance their apprenticeship scheme to better support both Welsh apprentices and engineering companies involved in the scheme. It also helped them to develop better partnerships and networks with companies across Europe, and gave the staff involved a greater understanding of new and emerging technologies.
“The experience of the Leonardo Mobility Project has given me an excellent insight into what working life is like in another country / culture. I gained great confidence in taking part in the project, and I think it is vital more people take part so that they can learn in a different environment and put into perspective what their working lives are like compared with the experiences of others.” Leonardo Mobility Apprentice
Shrewsbury College’s Motor Vehicle Students in Turkey.
The Leonardo Mobility Project also enabled seventeen and eighteen-year-olds studying City & Guilds Level 2 courses in Motor Vehicle Technology at Shrewsbury College to put their skills into practice and work on some of the world’s most expensive luxury cars. The funded work placements with Lamborghini, Porsche and Bentley in Istanbul helped the mechanic students gain a competitive edge when looking for work in the automotive sector back in the UK.
Future funding opportunities
The Leonardo programme’s funding may have come to an end, but funding opportunities for apprentices to participate in training placements in another European country will continue under Erasmus+, the new EU funding programme for education, training, youth and sport. Over the course of the next seven years, Erasmus+ will help send thousands of UK apprentices on work experience placements that will:
- Broaden their knowledge of new techniques that they would not have the opportunity to experience in the UK
- Enhance their scope of learning opportunities
- Increase their skills, independence and confidence
- Increase their employability prospects.
“We want to encourage more young people in the UK to take full advantage of the grants and opportunities available through Erasmus+.” Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism, Sport, Media and Youth
There are just two weeks left for vocational education and training organisations to apply for Mobility for VET Learners and Staff funding under Erasmus+ in 2014. Apply now via the UK Erasmus+ website and help give your apprentices a European edge.
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