The Lifelong Learning Platform, the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education and the European Commission joined forces to deliver a unique peer-learning activity on “Promoting Common Values and Inclusive Education through Cooperation between Education Institutions and Civil Society”. The event, which took place on 4-5 April in Zagreb, Croatia, was organised under the umbrella of the Education & Training 2020 Thematic Working Group on Promoting Common Values and Inclusive Education. The whole event was a great opportunity for European member States to learn on each other’s best practices on the role of civil society and non-formal education providers in the topic, with a special focus on history teaching and cyber-bullying. In an informal setting, workshops and roundtables took the participants into the topic, highlighting the efforts that MS should be carrying out to empower civil society organisations and non-formal education providers. In fact, a few local academics admitted that the role of civil society is crucial and certainly underestimated; nevertheless, often they are seen as counter-power and measures are put in place to reduce their capacities to act or use only them that provide services. This is especially true in recent years. All countries participating agreed and recognised that an empowered civil society helps countries achieve their individual and common education goals. The funding schemes for such stakeholders were also addressed in the discussion with Member States.

DIGIT is a European project (2017-2019) coordinated by the Polish company INnCREASE. LLLP is one of the 7 partners based in 7 EU countries. The project addresses the topical and timely issue of digital identity and footprint under the perspective of adult education . On April, 16-17th 2019 , DIGIT partners met in the city of Katerini, Greece to discuss the final stretch of the project and the remaining activities to be implemented until the end of the project (October 2019). It is the 4th meeting of the partnership (see article on the previous meeting in Reus here ) and the conclusions are that the next months will be busy for everyone, with the implementation of pilots, the organisation of events in partner countries, the writing of policy recommendations and the preparation of the project final conference taking place in October 2019 in Brussels. One of the main coming activities is the launch of the training programme , set for May-June, available on the online platform (Moodle). Every partner will pilot the training programme with 5 educators involving at least 25 adult learners in their countries. The pilots are meant to assess the quality and relevance of the training programme and its thematic modules for adult learners with the aim of raising their awareness on digital footprint topics. Each partner – except LLLP – will organise an event in its country, i.e Poland, Slovenia, Greece, Italy, United Kingdom and Spain to promote the pilots and project results between May and June. During summer, LLLP will be preparing policy recommendations on how can stakeholders, especially in adult education, better raise awareness about digital footprint-related issues. The recommendations will be presented at the final conference. The last point of discussion was the final event of the project that LLLP is co-organising with Dlearn and with the support of DIGIT partners. The “ European conference on digital footprint ” will take place on October 24th , in Brussels. Not only will it be the occasion to present the final outcomes of the project to a large audience, but will include high-level policy talks on the topic, the presentation of Dlearn’s survey , and workshops to showcase inspiring practices in the digital and educational fields while encouraging networking and partnerships between different stakeholders. The “Save the date” and more information will follow in the next weeks. For more information, contact us at projects@lllplatform.eu .

As COMANITY reaches its second year of activity, its nine partners gathered in Perugia (Italy) on April 8-9 to discuss in detail the final stages of this ambitious project. The COMANITY project , an Erasmus+ KA3 started in December 2017, aims to create a new role in youth work: the “ Community Animateur ”. Community Animateurs will be recruited among young people from marginalised communities and will be trained to become a crucial point of mediation and integration between youth workers and hard-to-reach young people . COMANITY partners met in Perugia to wrap up the extensive work of the past few months and plan the launch of the “Community Animateur” training programme and pilots . The pilot phase will be conducted in four countries (Greece, Italy, Spain and the UK), where at least 40 trainees will test the three modules of the “Community Animateur” training programme via online and face-to-face activities. After their learning experience, they will have the opportunity to test their newly acquired skills by conducting an “ action research experiment ”, i.e. a personal project aimed to solve a problem in their local community. After the piloting stage, which is planned to end in autumn 2019, the training programme will be available online as a free resource , open to anyone interested in enhancing their skills or developing new ones. It will comprise 3 macro areas for a total of 12 learning modules , according to the following structure: Do you think you have what it takes to be a Community Animateur? Take the self-assessment quiz and learn more about your skills! The Community Animateur training programme might be exactly what you were looking for to make the next step in your personal or professional development path. The training programme will soon be available online , stay tuned to learn how to sign up or join one of the pilots!

The Lifelong Learning Platform had convened an extraordinary General Assembly to gather its members on March 25th. The extraordinary GA was intended for all members to decide on important amendments, both on the Statutes (the founding documents of the organisation) and the Internal Rules (the rules that govern the internal functioning of the LLLPlatform). Members approved all the modifications proposed by the Steering Committee that will now enter into force thanks to notary ratification. This will not only smoothen the internal mechanisms of decision-making, but they will also make the LLLPlatform compliant to the recent changes in Belgian law for aisbl . The GA was also a joyful occasion for member to engage with each other, find and build on synergies, and fill in the LLLP with their policy priorities. The regular LLLP general Assembly will take place on 21 June 2019 in Brussels. Here members will approuve strategic documents, budgetary plans, and proceed to the election of three Steering Committee members.

On 26 March, the Lifelong Learning Platform and ALL DIGITAL gathered European stakeholders to tackle the burning issue of digital skills and media literacy. Striking data lays before our eyes: 43% of European citizens lack digital skills to be able to fully participate in and benefit from the digital society. How do we work together to support them? This was the key question that representatives of EU institutions, civil society organisations, education institutions and practitioners came together to discuss as part of the ALL DIGITAL Week . Looking at the complex picture behind the figure of 43% as an EU average was a recurring theme of the day. Big cleavages are evident between countries (especially on the North-South and West-East divides) as well as within countries between rural and urban areas. Adapting efforts to address this diversity was a message shared by several speakers. Considering digital skills within the broader view of social inclusion was also a pivotal point of the debate. Ilona Kish from Public Libraries 2030 recalled that it is not just a question of digital skills themselves but about “how we live and work together in the digital shift”. Rodrigo Ballester, from the Cabinet of Commissioner Navracsics, stressed that beyond skills mismatches we need to think about inclusion and “digital citizenship”: this includes the promotion of critical thinking and media literacy skills in all sectors of education. He underlined that in many cases young people may perceive themselves as digitally “confident” but are not digitally “competent”, and this strikes an important difference. The Digital Competence Framework can indeed be a starting point, as Yves Punie, from the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, pointed out: it identifies the main components of digital competencies and break them down to deliver the framework of what is needed in European societies. Lara Orlandi, from DG CONNECT, further built on this statement to explain that the concept of media literacy has now entered the common discourse in Europe and is indeed at the centre of institutional concerns. Other panellists like Andras Szucs, from the European Distance and E-learning Network , and Fiona Fanning, Certiport , stressed the need to improve our system of digital learning by starting to promote policy and practice across the whole of Europe and beyond. Young people may perceive themselves as digitally “confident” but are not digitally “competent”, and this strikes an important difference. To this extent, participants also had the chance to learn about a diverse collection of inspiring practices in supporting citizens to acquire digital skills and media literacy, including: LLLP’s project DIGIT on digital footprint for adults; UpSkill Digital UK , a service of digital trainers; the ALL DIGITAL project Smart Women on training women to bring their own businesses online; the Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange , a project that facilitates intercultural learning through online exchanges; and the DLEARN project Elithe on innovative methodologies for STEM teachers. These projects showcased the important work being done by stakeholders on the ground. The internal WG of the LLLPlatform on Digital Learning took place right after the event to reflect upon its outcomes. LLLP members discussed the ways to integrate such inputs into the internal work plan of the WG, and a few pillars were underlined; among these: a renewed focus on accessibility and inclusiveness, mobility learning schemes on digital skills (including KA1 projects), a deeper focus on employment and employers, a horizontal cooperation in EU projects, and stronger links – and actions – with formal education systems. The WG meeting was followed by a Focus Group on the preliminary results of the DIMELI4AC project , of which the LLLPlatform is a partner. The project intends to accompany students in the development of their digital media literacy (DML) and critical thinking skills with the support of their teachers and parents. Participants of the Focus Group were presented with the results of three targeted surveys on DML and offered precious insights that will feed into the next steps of the project. What’s next for media literacy and digital skills? The LLLPlatform will keep on working to ensure they remain as inclusive as possible and that digital tools contribute to closing the gap, rather than widen it. More on the principles that guide our actions here .

The Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) is an umbrella organisation that gathers 42 European civil society organisations active in the field of education, training and youth, based all over Europe and beyond. Currently, these networks represent more than 50 000 educational institutions and associations covering all sectors of formal, non-formal and informal learning. Their members reach out to several millions of beneficiaries across Europe. Are you looking for a job in the field of lifelong learning and education at the European level and an opportunity to work in the area of European programme and projects, fundraising and partnerships ? LLLP is recruiting a team player, able to work within a multicultural environment and willing to be flexible but also able to stick to tight deadlines and work under time pressure. A passion for lifelong learning is a big plus. About the role (what we need) You will be part of a multicultural team working for a membership-based organisation and in charge of providing coordination and management services to ensure projects meet the organisation’s needs and donors’ expectations. You will be working closely with members and partners to build their capacity and create project synergies. The Programme Coordinator’s responsibilities include: Planning and coordinating programme and project activities Ensuring the implementation of policies and practices within the programme Explore new funding opportunities and designing new project proposals Maintaining budget and tracking expenditure/transactions Build members project development capacity Requirements A post-secondary degree in the field of European studies, project management, educational sciences, political science or related discipline and/or relevant work or volunteer experience in education and/or advocacy-oriented NGOs; At least 5 years of working experience ideally in similar positions and keen interest to work on European projects, partnerships and fundraising; A sense of initiative and ability to champion projects from conception through to implementation; Proven ability to build training and capacity building activities for a membership-based organisation; An excellent command of the English language (spoken and written); Proven ability to build and manage partnerships; Strong creative, analytical and organisational skills; Very good computer skills and digital literacy; Very good financial literacy; Strong writing skills. The following knowledge and/or skills would be an advantage Knowledge of the European institutions and other target audiences related to education; Knowledge of EU funding programmes (especially Erasmus+, H2020, ESF); Good command of financial management; Knowledge of other European language is an asset; Experience with project and processes tools. Terms and conditions Full-time position: 1-year fixed-term contract with extension possibility Working hours: 38 hours a week Salary: 2400+ (benefits; transport & meal vouchers) + monthly allowance Holidays: 20 legal + 5 extra-legal (first year of employment) and a further 5 after 2 years Starting date: May 13, 2019 Procedures to apply Apply by 7th of April at vacancy@lllplatform.eu with your CV and your cover letter responding to the following question: What would you expect from such a position at LLLP? The test is foreseen the week of 12th of April . Interviews are scheduled for the week starting 22th of April . Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. For more details of the terms of the contract, including financial support, please contact at vacancy@lllplatform.eu .

The Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP) is an umbrella organisation that gathers 42 European civil society organisations active in the field of education, training and youth, based all over Europe and beyond. Currently, these networks represent more than 50 000 educational institutions and associations covering all sectors of formal, non-formal and informal learning. Their members reach out to several millions of beneficiaries across Europe. Are you a student or young graduate looking for a placement (traineeship) in the field of lifelong learning and education at European level and an opportunity to enter the “world of work” in the area of European project management and policy ? LLLP is recruiting a team player, able to work within a multicultural environment and willing to be flexible but also able to stick to tight deadlines. A passion for lifelong learning is a big plus. Requirements A post-secondary degree in the field of European studies, project management, educational sciences, political science or related discipline and/or relevant work or volunteer experience in education and/or advocacy-oriented NGO; An excellent command of the English language (spoken and written); A keen interest to work on European projects; Very good computer skills and digital literacy; Strong writing skills. The following knowledge and/or skills would be an advantage Knowledge of the European institutions and other target audiences related to education; Knowledge of EU funding programmes (especially Erasmus+); Basic experience of project management is welcomed; Knowledge of another European language is an asset; Experience with communication tools, such as CMSs, Mailchimp, and Social Media is a plus. Terms and conditions Internship for a duration of 6 to 12 months ; The applicant should be eligible for a Contrat d’immersion professionnelle (CIP); The applicant must be eligible to live and work in Belgium; Remuneration depends on age and previous experience, starting from 750€ per month; Monthly local transport costs in Brussels are covered with the possibility of an allowance replacing meal vouchers, in addition to CIP contribution; The successful applicant should ideally start as soon as possible in March 2019. Apply by 8th of March by sending your CV, motivation letter, and portfolio (if applicable) to vacancy@lllplatform.eu . Interviews will be scheduled with selected candidates on the week starting 11th of March. For more details of the terms of the contract, including financial support, please contact at vacancy@lllplatform.eu .

Eager to know what beneficiaries of Erasmus+ think of the programme? The LLLPlatform runs an annual review of the Erasmus+ programme implementation and shares its results with policy-makers to enhance the application process and the content of the programme. This survey is conducted by the LLLPlatform to evaluate how EU networks have experienced the past round of applications of the Erasmus+ programme: what do you think of Erasmus+? Are you satisfied with its new features? What problems did you encounter? What suggestions for improvement would you make? This publication explores the results of the Survey 2018! Results are mostly in line with the major issues of the programme, and there is room for improvement… Read the report with the results

What do young people think of the EU ? How much do they know about its structure and potential? What are their hopes for the future of Europe? These are some of the questions at the basis of the Study “Prejudices in schools. Youngsters and the EU: perceptions, knowledge and expectation” implemented by three partner organisations: the Lifelong Learning Platform, OBESSU and JEF Europe on behalf of the European Economic and Social Committee . The study is taking the form of a survey targeted at school students aged between 14 and 18 in European schools in Brussels and learners in 5 different countries enrolled in different types of schools (general, vocational, technical or artistic schools) in France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Romania. The survey is available here in French, German, Italian, Swedish and Romanian and will be open for responses until the 13th of March . What can you do? You can help disseminate the survey to different schools, which can act as sounding board, or directly contact interested students. The results will be anonymous, in conformity with current GDPR norms, and will not be used in any way to grade or rank schools. The final results will be shared with the schools and local partners will be able to organise presentations of the outcomes. We hope to reach out to at least 1.000 learners in the selected countries in order to produce a comprehensive report which will be sent to the European Economic and Social Committee.

The Civil Society Day, co-organised by the European Commission Directorate General for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports and the Lifelong Learning Platform as a follow up to the Future of Learning Forum, was held on 25 January 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. Participating NGOs engaged in the topic “Future of Learning: next priorities of the education and training framework considering current societal challenges”. We discussed education and training, and what it needs to take up a more prominent role when addressing demographic changes, inclusion and citizenship, technological innovations and the future of work, digitalisation of society, environmental challenges, investment, reforms and governance. Divided in thematic tables, we got to feed our concerns and positions vis-à-vis the challenges that our sector faces today. Participants reflected on main priorities and objectives of education and training post-2020, considering the main societal issues discussed during the Future of Learning Forum and exploring the ways civil society can contribute with regard to the future of learning. What did we bring about? We asked EU institutions to take steering actions towards a few main points: Promote participation in formal, non-formal and informal learning activities – at an equal footing – as a priority across all age groups and measure this participation, including by fostering a enquiry-based approach. Recognise universal access to quality education as a common good which should form the basis for establishing the European Education Area. Adopt a holistic approach to embedding the sustainable development agenda in education and training policies (including but not limited to SDG 4 on education, training and lifelong learning), accompanied by a strong monitoring mechanism and the collection of good practices in a cooperative spirit. Integrate learning “about Europe” as a transversal priority for all education sectors that would facilitate the sharing of common values, which also requires support for the development of ready to use educational resources. Develop a coherent and coordinated approach that links the world of education and the world of work, giving value to the full range of learners’ skills and competences and not only those which immediately correspond to short-term labour market demands. Embed the concept of Community Lifelong Learning Centres as a forward-looking approach towards opening up educational establishments to local communities and a more diverse range of learners. Read our briefing paper on this topic! Promote trainings for teachers and educators about how to deal with diversity. The fruitful meeting produced many more political recommendations that we delivered to representatives of the European Commission. Stay tuned on the Commission’s website for the full list!

The European Commission’s DG EAC and the Lifelong Learning Platform cooperated in the preparation of the Future of Learning Forum and Civil Society Day on 24-25 January. LLLP President Gina Ebner joined Commissioner Navracsics, Romanian Minister for National Education Ecaterina Andronescu, and MEP Petra Kammerevert in the opening keynote speeches of the Forum. Minister Andronescu outlined the Romanian Presidency’s ambitions for the Council recommendation on high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care, in addition to highlighting the central role of teachers in strengthening education systems. MEP Petra Kammerevert made a strong call for investment in education – proposing a national benchmark of 10% of GDP – and called for prompt action to make the European Education Area a reality. LLLP President Ms Ebner emphasised the importance of a learner-centred approach that fosters joy and motivation in learning and self-efficacy, as well as the real need for both political commitment and civil society. Throughout the Forum LLLP members were actively involved in the discussions and as speakers in the parallel sessions. The main objective was to debate and give feedback on the work of the ET2020 Expert Panel who produced reflection papers on 6 societal challenges: demographic challenges; inclusion and citizenship; technological change and the future of work; digitalisation of society; environmental challenges; and investment, reforms and governance. These reflections are aimed at helping DG EAC to draft the new education and training framework after 2020. Overall, the papers are in line with most LLLP positions, although they have been perceived by some as not visionary enough or lacking concrete actions. The Civil Society Day that followed the Forum was a unique opportunity for LLLP, its members and partners to give their input to the Commission on the development of the next framework. Recommendations put forward by participants included making participation in non-formal education a priority for all age groups and measuring that participation; making a clear link with the validation of non-formal and informal learning; investing in spaces of dialogue and co-creation for all learning stakeholders; and engaging civil society more closely in the planning, implementation and evaluation phases of policy-making. LLLP will continue to actively contribute to the ongoing development of the future framework.

The Inclusive Mobility Alliance project has started! On the 27th and 28th of September 2018, more than 20 organisations with expertise in the fields of Youth mobility, Higher Education mobility and Disability have gathered in Brussels to start discussing and defining what it means to organise an Inclusive Mobility (aka a mobility that is fully inclusive and allows everybody to take part in it, regardless of their socio-economic background). Since 2007, the number of students with disabilities taking part in Erasmus+ has been almost stagnating while the number of young people experiencing Erasmus+ exchanges is increasing rapidly. The question of the inclusiveness of one of the flagship EU programmes has been raised much time over the past few years. Despite many efforts made, Erasmus+ is still considered by many as a rather elitist programme. Today we are kicking of the #Inclusive #Mobility Aliance with a 2-day training! Extremely excited to have so many experts in the room and discuss how we can truly make #ErasmusPlus more inclusive! #THISisESN #Inclusion #InclusiveMobility pic.twitter.com/sREUgxfSzE — ESN International (@ESN_Int) September 27, 2018 During a meeting organised at the European Parliament on the 5th of December 2017 and hosted by MEP Damiano Zoffoli (S&D) , the stakeholders present agreed to create an alliance of organisations working on the topic of Inclusive Mobility. https://twitter.com/MobiAbility_Pro/status/1041999906678767617 During the first day, participants had the chance to get to know each other, discover the work of the other organisations as well as some of the good practices already existing on the topic, such as: SIHO and their website full of resources for students with disabilities in Flanders VIEWS International and their concept of Adapted EVS AHEAD and the guidelines for cooperation International Office – Disability Office ESN with the MappED! platform They also defined the concept of Inclusive Mobility and brainstormed on the core elements that make a mobility abroad fully inclusive. During the second day, the partners received Lloyd Huitson, Policy Officer at the European Commission DG EAC , who introduced the EU Commission proposal for the next Erasmus programme 2021-2027, that is currently being discussed at the European Parliament. After a round of questions and answers about its Social Dimension aspects, participants worked in groups to identify what works and what doesn’t work currently in the Erasmus+ programme and came up with realistic solutions on how to improve the future Erasmus programme post-2020 . Second day of exchange at the launch of #inclusive mobility alliance to discuss barriers and good practices to enjoy mobility abroad in #higherEducation and #youthExchange for all. #EramusPlus #disability #autism #autistic #EducationForAll #CRPD pic.twitter.com/FIjc9FJ91j — Autism-Europe (@AutismEurope) September 28, 2018 By the end of the year, the project partners will produce a set of recommendations for policy-makers at all levels (European, National, Regional and Local) on how to make international mobility more inclusive. The Alliance will also be officially created and launched in December 2018 with a long-lasting aim of monitoring EU and national policies as well as advocating for more inclusive mobility programmes. Stay tuned! The Inclusive Mobility Alliance project is co-funded by JINT , the Flemish National Agency for Youth. For more information, please contact dominique.montagnese@esn.org . This article appeared first on ESN’s website