“Focusing on Europe” Maximising European Opportunities & Funds Laura Leonard European Manager NI Best Practice Scheme Belfast City Council Best Practice Day, 29 November 2005

Background to BCC EU Unit Unit Structure Key Priorities Some Examples of Our Best Practice Introduction

1990s – Ad hoc activity Increasing activity / Eurocities Making the Case Formal Establishment Background to Unit

Strategic Fit   Eurocities Strategic Objectives   Northern Ireland Programme for Government   Corporate Plan   Capital City

Unit Structure European Manager 2 European Officers 1 Regional Project Officer Admin Support

Key Priorities Information Dissemination European Awareness City Promotion Networking Lobbying Project Delivery Trade Opportunities

3 Examples of Unit’s Best Practice Unit Priorities: Networking Promoting Belfast in Europe

INTRODUCTION What is Connect? What is Connect? Peace II Funding – Measure 4.1 Peace II Funding – Measure 4.1 To support development links with other European Regions (including Central and Eastern European Europe) to facilitate the exchange of best practice and lesson learning in the context of approaches to economic, social, urban development and local governance To support development links with other European Regions (including Central and Eastern European Europe) to facilitate the exchange of best practice and lesson learning in the context of approaches to economic, social, urban development and local governance

CONNECT AIMS & OBJECTIVES To establish a European Regional Network To establish a European Regional Network To encourage dialogue and foster links and co-operation To encourage dialogue and foster links and co-operation To engage in European Networking To engage in European Networking To promote the image of the Comet Region and share the regions unique experience To promote the image of the Comet Region and share the regions unique experience To ensure that urban affairs are placed high on European Unions Policy Agenda To ensure that urban affairs are placed high on European Unions Policy Agenda

CONNECT PARTNERSHIP COMET COMET VALENCIA (Spain) VALENCIA (Spain) Rybnik (Poland) Rybnik (Poland) Stockholm (Sweden) Stockholm (Sweden) Vilnius (Lithuania) Vilnius (Lithuania)

PROJECT DELIVERY Planning Meetings Planning Meetings Recce Visits Recce Visits Inward Visits Inward Visits Outward Visits Outward Visits Reporting and Information Dissemination Reporting and Information Dissemination

PROGRESS TO DATE Valencia Exchange Valencia Exchange Rybnik Exchange Rybnik Exchange Stockholm Exchange Stockholm Exchange

NEXT STEPS Pursue Opportunities from Valencia and Stockholm Pursue Opportunities from Valencia and Stockholm Vilnius Exchange Vilnius Exchange Final Conference Final Conference

Women Into Non-Traditional Sectors Project (WINS) Unit Priorities: Lobbying Lobbying Trans-national Networking Trans-national Networking

WHAT IS WINS?

Training & Work Experience in non traditional jobs Training & Work Experience in non traditional jobs WHAT IS WINS?

Why? Largest possible talent pool Largest possible talent pool Better decisions Better decisions Better customer identification Better customer identification Alleviating skills shortages Alleviating skills shortages

Cleansing

DRIVING

Crafts

Horticulture

Role Models

Who is it for? Women Women Returning to work Returning to work Interested in a new career Interested in a new career

What do we want to achieve? Address the gender imbalance in the workforce Address the gender imbalance in the workforce Direct benefit to women Direct benefit to women Demonstrate commitment to equality Demonstrate commitment to equality Improve our policies and practices Improve our policies and practices

WHEN? Jan – Mar 2006 Jan – Mar hours a week 15 hours a week 8 weeks of training 8 weeks of training 4 weeks of work experience 4 weeks of work experience

Assistance with Childcare and Travel

“New Europe, New Faces” & “Opportunity Europe” Unit Priorities: Information Dissemination Information Dissemination European Awareness European Awareness

Outputs of Enlargement Programme Total audience – 20,000 people  2,000 at EuroFair with 40 exhibitors;  110 at each of the community/voluntary and the business seminars  24 students on exchange visits  16,000 viewed the photographic exhibition Extensive PR Exercises:  15,000 flyers distributed  22 billboards mounted over the city  Radio interviews  coverage in international, national, regional and local press Willingness to see this type of programme to be continually rolled out Recently awarded the “Federation Francaise des Maisons de l’Europe” for citizens’ participation

“Opportunity Europe” No direct EC funding Same partnering organisations Activities to coincide with European Day of Languages Outputs for 2005:  25% increase in exhibitor numbers  realised 2004 attendance figure at EuroFair in its first afternoon  fun element combined with educational purposes

Questions ? ? ? ?