Mobility…at the service of vocational skills Dominique Figa LEONARDO DA VINCI Leonardo da Vinci

The lifelong learning programme (LLP) The European action programme in the field of lifelong education and training is Europe’s No. 1 instrument for promoting the emergence of a knowledge society based on exchanges, cooperation and mobility. It was set up in 2007 and has a €7 billion budget (2007/2013) LEONARDO DA VINCI

Structure of the LLP programme Jean Monnet Programme Three key activities: Jean Monnet action, European institutions, and European associations Transversal programme Four key activities: policy development, language learning, ICT and best practice dissemination Grundtvig Adult education Leonardo da Vinci Vocational education and training Erasmus Higher education Comenius and eTwinning School education LEONARDO DA VINCI

Programme objectives  To enhance the attractiveness, quality and efficiency of vocational education and training systems  To introduce new courses to meet future skills needs  To improve the transparency and recognition of skills and certifications by the implementation of VET cooperation tools and mechanisms (ECVET)  To promote mobility for young people in initial vocational training and the sharing of experience and know-how  To strengthen the European dimension LEONARDO DA VINCI

Opportunities offered  Allows students, apprentices and job seekers to gain professional experience through a placement in a European company;  Give VET professionals the opportunity to share experiences gained in their professional practice  Cooperate with companies on issues of common interest  Create or develop new tools or methods  Use networking to create a reservoir of shared expertise for the preparation of studies and analyses  Take part in a European event to find new partners and initiate a European project LEONARDO DA VINCI

How? By developing complementary activities Mobility A unique opportunity to train or broaden one’s education with an placement in a company abroad Partnerships A new opportunity for cooperation Development and innovation transfer projects, network projects Vocational training “engineering” LEONARDO DA VINCI

In practice Through  Setting up partnerships between all actors in the vocational education and training field  “People mobility”  Implementing new tools and new training methods (VET)  Sharing best practices LEONARDO DA VINCI

The projects LEONARDO DA VINCI Min. 3 organisations in 3 different countries 2 years Cooperation project aimed at exchanging experiences and professional practices 2. Partnership Type of project DescriptionDurationPartners 1. Mobility Placement in a company or training centre for young people in IVET VET professionals sharing best practices for 1-39 weeks 2 years Min. 2 organisations in 2 different countries 3. Transfer of Innovation European cooperation aimed at transferring innovative approaches to a new context, a new audience or to other countries, integrating them into existing training systems. 1-2 years Min. 3 organisations in 3 different countries

Programme management  Mobility  Partnerships  Innovation transfer projects are managed by the National Agencies  Development and innovation projects  Network projects are managed by the European Commission via its Executive Agency  preparatory visits and European contact seminars LEONARDO DA VINCI

For whom?  Education and Training Professionals  Universities, polytechnics and research centres (project subjects do not involve higher education)  Trainers, teachers  Companies, the private sector, chambers of commerce  Public authorities, the social partners  Workers and job seekers  Students on vocational / technical courses or, alternatively, students in social advancement schemes LEONARDO DA VINCI

Countries participating in the programme LEONARDO DA VINCI

Countries participating in the programme  27 EU Member States  Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein  Turkey  Croatia  Switzerland LEONARDO DA VINCI

1. Mobility projects LEONARDO DA VINCI

What do they involve? Cooperation projects aimed at  Organising placement in companies stages or training centres  Organising the exchange of experience between VET professionals LEONARDO DA VINCI

Target audience LEONARDO DA VINCI TARGET GROUPDuration PLM: People in the Labour Market, recent graduates and employees weeks IVET: students or apprentices in Initial Vocational Education or Training: Technical and vocational subsections, block release training, social advancement weeks PRO VET: Vocational teaching and training staff and guidance staff weeks

How? LEONARDO DA VINCI  Building partnerships  Information and selection of candidates  Preparing beneficiaries in cultural and language aspects  Placement  Monitoring and mentoring  Debriefing, evaluation,  Debriefing and project evaluation  Dissemination  Mainstreaming of the results

Preparation in Language and Cultural Aspects BEFORE and/or DURING the participant's placement - Never AFTERWARDS!  Purchase of teaching material, language courses, etc.  Information on the history and culture of the host country, cultural visits, top cultural events in the host country, etc. LEONARDO DA VINCI

Preparation in Language and Cultural Aspects  Intercultural preparation: Working on how the country is portrayed, on any myths or fears  Preparation in company culture, for example: training in the social economy, Visit to a company employing handicapped people Meetings with business leaders in the sector involved LEONARDO DA VINCI

European Quality Charter for Mobility Provides guidance on how to manage participants' mobility, helping them in their personal and professional development Focuses on:  defining internship objectives  selecting beneficiaries  organising monitoring and mentoring  evaluating internship and project results LEONARDO DA VINCI

Funding?  Project management  Cultural and linguistic preparation  Participants' mobility -Travel to and from the host country -Subsistence cost LEONARDO DA VINCI

Selection principles  An application form is submitted by the sending organisation to the National Agency of its country  Eligibility is checked  A qualitative assessment is carried out by independent experts  The decision is communicated  A contract is drawn up and an advance payment made (80% of funds granted)  Projects can then start LEONARDO DA VINCI

2. PARTNERSHIPS LEONARDO DA VINCI

What do they involve? Cooperation projects around a subject of common interest With whom? VET institutions, companies and social partners, as well as political decision-makers With what aim? With a view to obtaining a joint result a report on the issue dealt with, the organisation of a conference, something produced by the trainees, the development of increased cooperation, the setting up of a network LEONARDO DA VINCI

How? European-level meetings and local-level activities:  joint work on training contents  active cooperation between teachers, trainers, companies and authorities  production of common training methods  sharing of experience and transfer of best practices LEONARDO DA VINCI

Coordinator and Partners LEONARDO DA VINCI COORDiNATOR PARTNER  prepares the application together with all other partners.  takes part in preparing the application for his institution  coordinates the action programme of the partnership  takes part in the project on an equal footing  may be responsible for a particular task: communication, evaluation, …  receives an individual grant from his national agency dependent on the number of mobility cases he handles  manages his own budget

Funding? LEONARDO DA VINCI Overall amount covering the duration of the whole project: dependent on the number of mobility cases each partner deals with The grant covers:  Local activities: publications, software, translations, organising a conference, drawing up a methodology guide, introducing a teaching tool  Travel expenses, stay and insurance during mobility period

Selection principles  Submission of an application file by each partner to the National Agency of his country  Eligibility is checked  Evaluation in the coordinating country  Selection list drawn up by the Commission  The selection list is worked down from top (best) to bottom until the national budget is completely used up  The decision is communicated to the applicant  A contract is drawn up and an advance payment made (80% of funds granted)  Projects can then start LEONARDO DA VINCI

3. Multilateral innovation transfer projects

Multilateral projects Larger scale projects involving organisations in different countries for developing working practices in the VET field.  Development of Innovation projects improve training systems by creating innovative approaches in teaching and training;  Transfer of Innovation projects help to propagate the most promising new developments;  Networks target key fields;  Accompanying measures highlight the results of other projects funded within the programme. LEONARDO DA VINCI

Innovation transfer, what does it involve? A cooperation project which:  Identifies an innovative solution (a practice, tool, approach, methodology, etc.)  Adapts one of more best practices for another country, a different business sector, another target group, etc.  Customises training materials for the needs of learners and businesses in the partner countries.  integrate results into training systems and practices at geographical, sectoral and/or organisational level LEONARDO DA VINCI

The transfer process LEONARDO DA VINCI Innovative solution Tools Methodology Scheme Approach New context(s) Target audience Country Business sector The transfer process = the project

Innovative solution ? innovative = not yet used on the target audience, new needs, new Products/methods/practices/tools, new countries, target groups, new sectors, new partnerships, helping to modernise the target vocational training system  training tools, training methods  schemes for training, guidance, teaching supervision, and for helping trainees to find jobs  events competitions, lectures and conferences, awareness/information campaigns, etc.  approaches to work or work methodologies, a project approach LEONARDO DA VINCI

TOI European Priorities  Priority 1: Encouragement of cooperation between VET and the world of work  Priority 2: Support to initial and continuous training of VET teachers, trainers, tutors and VET institution managers  Priority 3: Promotion of the acquisition of key competences in VET  Priority 4: Development and transfer of mobility strategies in VET  Priority 5: ECVET for transparency and recognition of learning outcomes and qualifications  Priority 6: Improving quality assurance systems in VET LEONARDO DA VINCI

Priority 5 the transfer of methods, guidelines and associated tools aiming at the implementation and use of ECVET principles  the design of qualifications in units of learning outcomes;  development and transfer of units of learning outcomes dealing with international working skills; the allocation of ECVET points to units and qualifications;  the associated procedures for assessment, transfer, validation and accumulation of learning outcomes achieved in formal, informal and non-formal contexts;  the development of operational partnerships, including models for Memoranda of Understanding, learning agreements, personal transcripts. LEONARDO DA VINCI

What projects can we draw on? The programme has been opened to initiatives conducted outside "European" fields:  EU projects (Equal, ESF, Interreg, etc.)  Regional projects  Projects introduced within or outside the 31 eligible countries  Leonardo projects currently running Do these projects have to be finished? NO, insofar as their results are already clearly identifiable, complete and exploitable LEONARDO DA VINCI

Where can we find ideas for projects?  The ADAM database:  A website devoted to ECVET projects LEONARDO DA VINCI

Activities funded  Adaptation to new legal, professional, socio- cultural and/or linguistic contexts: updating a product or method, translation, etc.  Development, production and experimental activities  Managing a project's quality, evaluation  Integration (or certification) into regional, national, European and/or sectoral practices and systems,  Management of the partnership  Transnational cooperation  Activities involving disseminating and exploiting results LEONARDO DA VINCI

Funding?  Direct costs ► Staff costs: costs ► travel expenses, board and lodging costs: Actual costs with maximum amounts dependent on the country ► sub-contracting: max. 30% of direct costs ► equipment: max. 10% of direct costs  Indirect costs: 7% of direct costs, Use of own funds Max. funding = EUR 150,000 p.a. Max. 75% of total project budget LEONARDO DA VINCI

Examples of concrete projects  Job-related reference material  eLearning platform for a specific training course or target audience  Database  Virtual lab  Training modules, teaching tools LEONARDO DA VINCI

Selection principles  Submission of an application file by the COORDINATOR to the National Agency of his country  Eligibility is checked  Evaluation in the coordinating country  Decision communicated to the applicant  A contract is drawn up and an advance payment made (40% of funds granted)  Projects can then start LEONARDO DA VINCI

Conclusions LEONARDO DA VINCI The LLP programme offers you a wide range of European cooperation opportunities suited to the size and activities of your institution Don't hesitate – start right now!

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