Mobility of adult learners
At the level of EU programmes, the mobility of adult learners in general, non-vocational education of adults is part of the Erasmus+ Programme. The programme covers various fields, the activities in the field of education, training and sports in Slovenia are covered by the Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes (CMEPIUS).
Adult learners may participate in the scope of the Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices - Strategic partnersips. Project administrators are organisations, not individuals. Strategic partnerships supports the cooperation of at least three organisations from at least three countries that participate in the Erasmus+ programme with the aim to promote or develop innovation in the field in which the need was demonstrated in all of the participating countries (e.g. new curriculum on a specific topic, new methods of teaching, manual of teaching a specific target group that had not been discussed before, new approach to teaching, development of new online tools or new content for existing tools), or exchange of good practices among organisations that wish to improve their current activites and operations.
It involves an exchange and development of innovative practices that lead to high quality teaching, training, learning, youth work, institutional modernisation, and social innovation. If there is a distinct added value demonstrated, countries not participating in the programme may participate under special conditions in the projects.
In the life cycle of projects and depending on the type of the strategic partnership, one may implement a wide range of activities, such as learning, teaching and training of individuals, but they may be included only if they add value in the realiasation of project goals. In the scope of those projects, the one may implement the combined mobility of learners that may take no less than five days (days for travelling to and back from the location of mobility not included); it is the activity, in which one or several short periods of real mobility (total of no more than two months) are combined with virtual mobility (that is: use of information and communication technologies, such as work environment for cooperation, online content live streaming, videoconferences, social media, and so forth), namely by improving the sustainability of learning outcomes of the real mobility. It may be used to develop, support and monitor continuously the real mobility. It may be organised for the treatment of persons with special needs or less opportunities, to help eliminated the barriers for long-term real mobility.
Mobility of education staff in adult education
At the level of EU programme, the mobility in general and non-vocational education of adults is pursued in the scope of the Erasmus+ Programme. It covers various fields. In the field of education, training and sport, the activities are coordinated and implemented by the Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes (CMEPIUS).
The staff at adult education organisations may participate in various parts of the programme, in particular, two actions Key action 1 – Learning mobility of individuals and Key action 2 – Strategic partnerships. In both cases, the projects are administered by organisations, not individuals.
Key action 1 – Learning mobility of individuals addresses the education staff not learners. The co-financing funds cover tree types of mobility:
- study visits to a foreign organisation (job shadowing)
- participation in structured courses abroad, and
- teaching or training abroad, that is the Slovenian organisation and foreign organisation agree that the educator of the Slovenian organisation assumes specific teaching or training duties for a specified period at the organisation abroad.
Mobility has to last up to 2 consecutive days at least (days of travelling to and back from the setting of mobility are not included) and no more than 2 months. The mobility is possible to one of the countries included in the Erasmus+ Programme (28 EU member states, Lichtenstein, Norway, Iceland, Turkey and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). The main aim behind mobility is to enable the staff in the relevant field to pursue professional and personal development as this has a significant impact on the improvement of quality of teaching and learning of adults.
Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices - Strategic partnersips supports the cooperation of organisations from various countries with the aim to promote or develop innovation in the field in which the need for it was demonstrated in all of the participating countries (e.g. new curriculum on a specific topic, new method of teaching, manual of teaching a specific target group that had not been discussed before, new approach to teaching, development of new online tools or new content for existing tools), or exchange of good practices among organisations that wish to improve their current work.
The partnership has to include three or more participating organisations from three or more countries taking part in the Erasmus+ Programme (28 EU member states, Lichtenstein, Norway, Iceland, Turkey and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). If added value has been established, countries not in the Programme may participate under certain conditions. Projects aim at the exchange or development of innovative practices that lead to high quality teaching, training, learning, youth work, institutional modernisation, and social innovation.
In the life cycle of projects and depending on the type of the strategic partnership, one may implement a wide range of activities, but only certain include the mobility of staff. The activities are learning, teaching and training of individuals, but they may be included only if they add value in the realisation of the project goals.
In projects of strategic partnerships, the staff may participate in mobility of two activities:
short-term combined training of staff that may take no less than three days (days for travelling to and from the location of mobility not included) and no more than two months. In the combined training of staff, the organisations in the strategic partnership may organise short training related to the topic or relevant field, namely for the staff in education or youth sector. It must be organised for small groups of staff from different countries to achieve the greatest effect possible on individual organisations. They may be different forms, that is study visits that combine visits of the relevant organisations, presentations, discussion workshops, training, and so forth. The participation of international and national participants has to be balanced.
long-term mobility aimed at teaching or training that may take no less than two months or no more than 12 months; in this activity, the education staff of an educational institution that is a party of the strategic partnership may teach at the partner institution or take part in professional activities at another partner institution that is related to their professional field. The activity may include working at the educational institution/centre or other suitable organisation (for example companies, non-governmental organisations) or participation in structured courses or seminars, practical training or period of shadowing in the field specific organisations.