6 tips for budding women entrepreneurs
Posted: August 15, 2014 Filed under: Grundtvig, Hints and tips, Social media, Transfer of Innovation | Tags: Business, Entrepreneur, Lifelong Learning Programme 1 Comment
Almost one year ago we published this post with some inspiring Lifelong Learning Programme projects which looked at the theme of entrepreneurship. With such relevance for the Erasmus+ programme we thought we would re-post one of our most successful articles – please comment and share your tips if you haven’t done so already! We hope you find these tips useful!
Forbes recently published a report stating that in 2012 alone 126 million women worldwide were starting or running new businesses and an estimated 98 million were developing established businesses.
But it’s not easy starting a new business, especially if you have a family, are over fifty or come from a disadvantaged background. That’s why a number of Lifelong Learning Programme funded projects have focused on supporting female entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to develop the necessary skills to become self-employed. These are just a few tips from our projects if you’re a woman interested in setting up your own business:
1. Learn from other women entrepreneurs
Whether you’re confident about setting up your own business or a little hesitant, talking to other women entrepreneurs who can share their successes and challenges with you can help you learn from best practice and better understand the pitfalls of business.
Fe:male was a Grundtvig funded project that helped women across Europe connect in groups in order to mentor each other in business. Their website provides a wealth of resources and contacts if you’re interested in learning from other women entrepreneurs:
Read the rest of this entry »
Leonardo Transfer of Innovation: Planning your Final Report
Posted: July 24, 2014 Filed under: Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Transfer of Innovation | Tags: dissemination, final report, Final Report Seminar, leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Transfer of Innovation Leave a comment“Those who plan do better than those who do not plan even though they rarely stick to their plan.” – Winston Churchill.
Here at the UK National Agency we agree with Winston, which is why we wanted to help Leonardo Transfer of Innovation projects from the 2012 Call to start planning their final reports early this year, in time for the November deadline.
As anyone who has completed an LLP-funded project knows, the final report is an essential part of any project manager or promoter’s process. Contrary to popular belief, however, the final report doesn’t have to be daunting; it’s a chance to showcase the success of your project as much as it’s a grant requirement.
Final report seminar – 27 June
Last month we held a final report seminar at Austin Court in Birmingham, a venue that may be familiar to LLP promoters who have attended previous seminars and workshops. Delegates were provided with a detailed resource pack to help with completing the report, including financial guidance and some FAQs.
“At #LeonardoTOI workshop for our final report training. Lots of guidance and support.” – @NickGREltd
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 »
Old Knowledge is New Knowledge
Posted: February 6, 2014 Filed under: Erasmus+, Grundtvig, Lifelong Learning Programme, Thematic Networking | Tags: Adult Learning, Europe 2020, european commission, grundtvig, Lifelong Learning Programme Leave a commentEmerging from seven years of the LifeLong Learning Programme, adding to the 25 years of European programmes in the fields of education, training and youth, entering the world of Erasmus+ can seem to be a daunting experience. But many organisations, including Minerva Heritage Ltd, are using their knowledge and experience from previous European funding programmes to move forward with Erasmus+.
Lisa Keys, Director and Interpretation Consultant from Minerva Heritage Ltd, which provides specialist heritage management services, was granted Grundtvig funding to attend the Heritage Interpretation Conference; ‘Sharing our natural and cultural heritage – interpretation can make us citizens of the World’, in Sigtuna, Sweden, back in June last year.
New term, new start
Posted: January 9, 2014 Filed under: Erasmus+, Lifelong Learning Programme | Tags: Erasmus+, Langages, Lifelong Learning Programme, Your Story Leave a commentFor students up and down the country this week it’s back to uni. Christmas home comforts (namely cooked dinners and free laundry services) are replaced with househunting for second year and looming exams. So to mark the beginning of the new term we share some of the illuminating student stories shared at the recent British Council Erasmus Awards ceremony.
Living like a local
This was the theme of the British Council’s annual ‘Your Story’ competition for UK Erasmus students. The current Erasmus programme enables higher education students to study or work abroad as part of their degree and staff to teach or train in 33 European countries. Students were asked to share how their Erasmus experience abroad had allowed them to become a part of their new country, rather than pass through as a tourist, and the impact this has had on their lives, education and future careers. 
Participants could capture their stories in written essays or photographic portfolios which were celebrated at an awards ceremony held in central London. As I chatted to some of the award winners and runners-up about their Erasmus adventures, within seconds I was presented with tales of new friendships, shared cultural experiences and some well meant, although slightly embarrassing, mishaps when bravely tackling new foreign languages. With the Erasmus+ programme offering a range of funding opportunities for further education students and staff, it was all the more exciting to look forward to the future. Read the rest of this entry »
Key dates for the next steps in Erasmus+
Posted: October 30, 2013 Filed under: Erasmus+ | Tags: Erasmus+, Lifelong Learning Programme, MEP Leave a commentAs we move into November, a number of significant dates in the European level process to approve the new EU programme for education, training, youth and sport are scheduled to take place.
Starting on 5 November, members of the European Parliament’s (MEPs) CULT Committee in Brussels will vote on the approval of Erasmus+.
This will be followed by a vote of MEPs on Erasmus+ during the Plenary sitting in Strasbourg on 19 November. If MEPs vote to adopt the programme, this will indicate the final stages of the European Union’s legislative process for Erasmus+ to enter into force in January 2014.
The European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2014 – 2020 is also scheduled to be debated on 18 November in the first of the three day Plenary sitting. The MFF, which will establish the EU’s budget for the next seven years, is still to be confirmed and this includes the overall budget for the Erasmus+ programme.
You can keep up-to-date with Erasmus+ developments by following the hashtag #erasmusplusUK or by visiting www.erasmusplus.org.uk
My first LLP event: 2013 Transfer of Innovation Start-Up Seminar
Posted: October 18, 2013 Filed under: Transfer of Innovation | Tags: Birmingham, Lifelong Learning Programme, partners, Partnerships, Transfer of Innovation Leave a comment
As a newcomer to Ecorys, I was excited to be involved with my first event: the Transfer of Innovation Start-Up Seminar for 2013 projects at Austin Court. Based just minutes from the Brindley Place canal district and within walking distance to Birmingham’s newest attraction – Europe’s largest library – delegates were able to experience the city before a day devoted to providing information on what they can expect over the next two years…
The event itself had an interesting mix of new and experienced project managers, all hoping to learn something from the specialised presentations and panel discussions.
Upon arrival, guests were presented with a delegate pack which included a range of informative publications, designed to help manage a TOI project. The seminar represented the last LLP event in its current form before the transition to Erasmus+ from January 2014.
5 Top Tips to Recognise Your Learners Achievements
Posted: October 15, 2013 Filed under: Apprentices, Leonardo, Mobility, Thematic Networking | Tags: apprentices, ECVET, european commission, Leonardo Mobility, Lifelong Learning Programme Leave a commentAs a National Agency we’ve learnt a lot running the ECVET Experts project. Since January 2012, over 70 organisations have met with Experts across the UK for free to learn more about the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET). They have been able to discuss how ECVET principles can be implemented to recognise learners’ achievements.
If you’re starting out on your Leonardo Mobility journey, thinking about how you can keep up-to-date with current practices, or wanting to improve your established systems our top tips on implementing ECVET could be useful to you.
Top Tip 1: Plan, plan, plan!
It’s really useful to identify learning outcomes that you expect to be achieved during placement. If your learners are working towards a qualification have a look to see if there’s any specific units learners can undertake, or work towards.
Keeping good communication open with your learners and partners is another top tip. You might already have a Partner Agreement in place but have you thought about stepping it up to a Memoranda of Understanding? This is an agreement between you and your partner about procedures, methods of assessments and can cover more than one mobility period. Training Agreements can also be exchanged for, or made more in line with, a Learning Agreement between the learner, partner and your organisation setting out what will happen, the expectations of the learner and what they should expect in terms of assessment and recognition and validation. Have a look at our ECVET-Mobility glossary for more on the differences between ECVET and Leonardo Mobility documents.
Making partnerships possible in Erasmus+
Posted: October 1, 2013 Filed under: Erasmus+ | Tags: Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, partners, Partnerships, Transfer of Innovation Leave a commentThis week, we’re looking at making partnerships possible in Erasmus+, the new EU programme for education, training, youth and sport. Partnerships are changing, but there are still many relevant lessons to be learned from the LLP. To help guide you through these changes, one of our Transfer of Innovation projects shares their flexible approach to partnership working along with other tips for future aspects of partnerships in Erasmus+.
The key to partnerships in the new programme is flexibility. But what benefits can this bring? Made possible under Key Action 2, Co-operation and Innovation for Good Practices, projects will be able to not only work across all sectors, but set their own activities and work plans in line with policy. Smaller organisations will also be more involved as different sized partnerships will be available for any organisation working in education, training and youth. In the future one organisation will lead the partnership, similar to the current model used in Transfer of Innovation Projects. So looking ahead to Erasmus+ we asked Lisa McMullan, development manager at The Women’s Organisation, to share the benefits of being lead partner in the E-Business Enterprise Learning project which develops learning resources to support women-led small businesses…
Making mobility possible in Erasmus+
Posted: September 20, 2013 Filed under: Erasmus+, Leonardo, Mobility | Tags: Cumbernauld College, Erasmus+, Leonardo Mobility, Lifelong Learning Programme, vocational education Leave a commentErasmus+ the new education, training, youth and sport programme, aims to improve the skills and employability of Europe’s generations, through providing a range of mobility opportunities to study and train abroad. To take you through some of the key changes to mobility in the new programme, we thought we would ask an experienced promotor to share the benefits they have already seen from adopting organisation-led mobility, and some of the other new features of mobility in Erasmus+…
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