Sharing your success
Posted: June 19, 2013 Filed under: Grundtvig, Leonardo, Uncategorized | Tags: Adult Learning, Final Report Seminar, funding, grundtvig, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, llpukecorys, Partnerships 1 CommentOur Grundtvig and Leonardo Partnerships team have been busy this week hosting their Final Report Seminar at Austin Court in Birmingham.
The event provides projects with clear guidance on completing their Final Report, as well as the opportunity to share their best practice with other organisations from across the UK and meet the National Agency team to discuss any queries.
As part of the Communications Team, I was delighted to be invited along to talk to projects about how they can share their success, with information on the types of dissemination activities and opportunities open to projects throughout their funding journey.
We produce a wide range of guidance notes including ‘Sharing Success’ and ‘Making a Difference’. Projects can also feature on the projects around the UK map on our website, and in our newsletters and publications.
Social media is a great way of getting the latest project activities out to a large audience. We have a guidance note and online resource for projects wanting to explore the different platforms and ‘Get Connected’. Projects can also follow us on Twitter @llpUKecorys, like us on Facebook, and we have a blog where we regularly feature project case studies, films, quotes and even poetry!
Many of the projects at the event are already well underway with their dissemination activities and it was inspiring to hear from some organisations on how they are using social media at events to engage their audiences.
With the projects coming to the end of their lifecycles, dissemination activities are important for raising awareness and demonstrating the impact of their project achievements and outputs. If you would like to share your success and have any tips to offer other projects for dissemination, please leave your comments below!
Information on the Final Report Seminar will be available shortly on our website.
Making the most of your Individual Mobility
Posted: May 3, 2013 Filed under: Grundtvig, Transversal | Tags: grundtvig, in-service training, Lifelong Learning Programme, llpukecorys, mobility, Study Visit, transversal, Visit & Exchange Leave a commentThe Lifelong Learning Programme is drawing to a close; over the last 7 years it has funded countless organisations and individuals. Throughout the year, we are still funding opportunities through Grundtvig and Transversal: In-Service Training, Visits & Exchanges and Study Visits.
Breaking the ice
These three opportunities have their similarities: they all fund individuals to develop skills and exchange expertise with their peers. If you have recently been successful with your application, or are due to go on your Mobility shortly, there are things that you can do to ensure you are prepared and make the most out of your experience. For example, Alison Walton-Robson of Headway Arts, before attending her In-Service Training course in Italy, not only read the required reading provided by the host organisation but also:
On my own initiative I looked at travel guides of the Bologna region. I also used iPad apps and other online language preparation/research such as ‘Easy Italian’, I wanted to be able to speak basic sentences.
Our opportunities are not only about enhancing your CV they are also the chance to add a European element to your training. Basic cultural preparation can make the difference in those first few minutes of meeting your host and fellow participants. At our Transversal Briefing Seminars one of our top tips is to find out about the group: Read the rest of this entry »
Read the latest edition of edUKation
Posted: May 1, 2013 Filed under: Apprentices, Erasmus+, Grundtvig, Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Transversal, Uncategorized | Tags: Ecorys, Erasmus+, EY2013, grundtvig, leonardo, llp, llpukecorys, transversal Leave a commentThe latest edition of edUKation is now available to download. edUKation is our quarterly newsletter containing updates from the Leonardo, Grundtvig and Transversal programmes.
In this edition
In issue 21 you can read about how Borders College scooped the International Award at the 2012 Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) ceremony for their links and partnerships developed through mobility projects. You can also read about:
- Enhancing skills and employability of UK Apprenticeships
- Erasmus for All: moving closer to the new programme
- 2013 European Year of Citizens
Download issue 21 of edUKation
Subscribe to edUKation
You can sign up to our mailing list to receive edUKation straight to your inbox. You can also sign up for our monthly e-flashes for the Leonardo, Grundtvig and Transversal programmes: http://www.graphicmail.co.uk/rwcode/subscribe.aspx?SiteID=5307&SID=6&Email=
Previous editions
You can find previous editions of edUKation in our resource centre.
Springing into sustainable and inclusive growth
Posted: March 20, 2013 Filed under: Grundtvig, Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Mobility | Tags: Europe, Europe 2020, growth, Inclusion, Leonardo Mobility, llpukecorys, senior volunteering, sustainable growth Leave a commentToday is officially the first day of spring, the time where the roots have bedded down and the first shoots start appearing. This might be a rather tenuous link but it started me thinking about the opportunities for growth and how the lifecycle of our projects enable new branches to sprout and develop.
Growth is a priority under the EU2020 objectives with sustainable and inclusive growth a focus. Continuing on the theme of growth, I thought I’d highlight some of our projects that look at the greener side of things. Many of our projects focus on conservation, nature and the environment, working to help communities and individuals through green-centered education. Looking first at Leonardo, the 2011 Mobility funded Parks & Gardens Apprenticeship Scheme, organised by Cardiff Council, provided apprentices with a new understanding of the techniques and processes involved in horticulture: Read the rest of this entry »
International Women’s Day!
Posted: March 8, 2013 Filed under: Leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, Transfer of Innovation | Tags: International Women's Day, leonardo, Lifelong Learning Programme, llp, llpukecorys, Transfer of Innovation Leave a commentOn a day dedicated to recognising women’s achievements and addressing inequalities that remain across the world, we would like to share with you one of our Leonardo Transfer of Innovation projects, which focusses on bringing out potential in women entrepreneurs. This topic is highly relevant to the UK Government’s response to IWD this year, which focuses on supporting women in business. See http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/international-womens-day-2013/ for more details.
Supporting women entrepreneurs through technology
The Women’s Organisation, a Social Enterprise in Liverpool, are currently 16 months into their Women’s E-Business Enterprise Learning Project which aims to help women entrepreneurs to make better use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve their business competitiveness. Read the rest of this entry »
Like us on Facebook and win a goodie bag!
Posted: February 25, 2013 Filed under: Grundtvig, Leonardo, Transversal | Tags: facebook, grundtvig, leonardo, llpukecorys, transversal, Your Story Leave a commentWe’ve recently launched our Facebook Page LLP UK Ecorys and are looking forward to seeing your project outcomes, results and testimonials that you share on Facebook.
To celebrate the launch we are giving away 5 Goodie Bags. To be in with a chance of winning one of our Goodie Bags simply Like us on Facebook by 10.00am (GMT) on the 1 March and we will pick 5 lucky winners:
Like us on Facebook to win this goodie bag!
Liking you on Facebook
Creating a Facebook Page is another way for us to see your successes. Share your Facebook Page with us so we can read the experiences of your Mobility participants or watch a video explaining the latest developments in your Transfer of Innovation project.
Not on Facebook? Don’t worry you can still get in touch with us on our blog, by tweeting @llpUKecorys or by submitting a case study to appear on our Projects around the UK map. Share your successes today!
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 commentOur 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 CommentYou 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 »
llpUKecorys 