UNIVERSITY OF IOANNINA INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF HELLENIC EDUCATION - CULTURE & VOCATIONAL TRAINING (DIKEPPEE) "STAVROS NIARCHOS" Vocational Training Center (KEK) "WORK EXPERIENCE "Work Experience IN THE EUROPEAN LABOUR MARKET" in the European Labour Market" Lifelong Learning Programme Sub-Programme: Leonardo Da Vinci Action: Mobility for People in the Labour Market (PLM) Title: "Work Experience in the European Labour Market" Participants: 28 University Graduates Duration: 8/11/2010-31/5/2012
DISTINCTIONS Distinctions Good Practice - Greek National Agency for Leonardo Da Vinci (IKY). The project was characterized as a Good Practice for its high quality standards by the Greek National Authority for Leonardo Da Vinci. It is included in the Guide for Good Practices in Leonardo da Vinci mobility projects published by the Greek Agency for Lifelong Learning Programme/Leonardo Da Vinci. "Good Practice"- CEDEFOP Study Visit Group Report. The project was also included as a good practice in the Cedefop Study Visit Group Report "Quality in mobility and certificates for better cross-border mobility", Zwolle, Netherlands, 2011. The highest budget nationwide - Call for applications 2010. Our project application was selected on a competitive basis among 45 applications submitted for Leonardo Da Vinci mobility actions for People in the Labour Market - Call 2010. The application of the Vocational Training Center had the highest budget in Greece among the 15 selected applications. The Vocational Training Center (KEK) of the University of Ioannina (UoI) is one of the three departments of the International Center of Hellenic Education- Culture and Vocational Training (DIKEPPEE) funded by Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The Vocational Training Center is accredited by the Greek National Organisation for Accreditation of Qualifications & Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP). Since 2003 the Vocational Training Center of the University of Ioannina has focused on the internationalization of its activities and incorporated transnational mobility actions in its action agenda. It coordinated 4 Leonardo Da Vinci mobility projects, under which 64 university graduates participated in training schemes in 32 receiving organisations in 13 EU countries. From 8/1/2010 to 31/5/2012, KEK carried out its 4th Leonardo Da Vinci mobility project for People in the Labour Market (PLM) titled "Work Experience in the European Labour Market". Twenty eight (28) graduates from the University of Ioannina and other Greek Universities gained work experience in nineteen (19) receiving institutions in eleven (11) E.U. countries. The project was funded by the European Union under Lifelong Learning Programme - Leonardo Da Vinci (2010-1-GR1-LEO 02-03966).
n Sending Organisation: Vocational Training Center of the University of Ioannina, Greece n Number of Receiving organizations: n Number of Receiving countries: PROJECT DATA Project Data 19 (research institutes, university laboratories, educational institutes, hospital and employers' federation) 11 (France, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Cyprus, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden) n Number of Participants: 28 University Graduates, specifically 21 University of Ioannina Graduates 7 graduates from other greek universities n Duration of Training periods: 3-6 months n Fields of work: Humanities, Preschool Education, Food Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Material Sciences, Medicine, Economics n Basis of the proposal: Survey of UoI's Graduates published by the UoI Career Office (2008) n Participants' Selection procedure 2 Calls for Applicants based on the desired trainees' profile set by the receiving organizations Total number of applications: 235 Evaluation of applications: 4 UoI Academic Staff Committees from relevant fields n Linguistic, pedagogical and cultural preparation of the participants Guide "Travelling in Europe" 11 Guides for the 11 receiving countries Funding for linguistic, pedagogical and cultural preparation expenses based on each trainee's needs n Funding: Expenses covered Scholarship for subsistence and travel costs based on the maximum rates set by the Greek National Authority for Leonardo per host country and duration of stay. (For mobility actions of a minimum duration of 13 full weeks, the awarded grants are considered a global flat-rate contribution to cover all costs, including travel costs), e.g. 3 3-month training in France: 3,987 Euros 3 4-month training in Spain: 4,236 Euros 3 5-month training in Denmark: 6,721 Euros 3 6-month training in the United Kingdom: 6,930 Euros Funding for linguistic, cultural and pedagogical preparation Travel Insurance
n Validation: Europass Mobility Document Certificate-Letter of Reference issued for each of the participants by the receiving organization Certificate of successful completion of the Leonardo training period issued by the Vocational Training Center of the University of Ioannina n Participants' Social networking The Vocational Training Center created a LINKEDIN Professional Group (LdV.Participants_KEK.UoI.GR) in order to provide a network tool between the 28 participants, the participants from the previous 3 Leonardo programmes and the Vocational Training Center. The main target is the dissemination of information and advice regarding current and future employment n Professional status of the participants after the completion of the training periods 7 participants received a job offer by the receiving organisation 11 participants found a job in Greece 1 participant found a job as a PhD researcher in Greece 1 participant is going to set up her own business in Greece 3 participants found a job abroad 3 participants found a job as PhD researchers abroad q Funding absorption rate: 100% q Implementation of the guidelines set by the European Quality Charter for Mobility
RECEIVING ORGANISATIONS Receiving Organisations CY (CYPRUS) Cyprus Employers &Industrialists Federation, Nicosia Kindergarten "Charoumena Pedakia" LTD, Nicosia Kindergarten "Ta Pedika Chronia" LTD, Nicosia Kindergarten "Casa dei Bambini" LTD, Nicosia DE (GERMANY) Dessau Medical Center, Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology, Dessau Institute for Greek and Latin Philology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH, Kaiserslautern DK (DENMARK) GEUS, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen Department of Food Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen ES (SPAIN) Catalan Institute for Water Research, (ICRA), Girona Department of Microbiology and Parasitology Group (Lab): Microbial Biostabilizers, University of Seville, Faculty of Pharmacy, Seville FR (FRANCE) Centre Anhima, History and Anthropology of Ancient Societies, Paris UMR 5189 HISOMA - History and Sources of Ancient Societies/ Universit e Lumière Lyon2, Lyon NL (NETHERLANDS) Dept. of Pharmacokinetics, Toxicology and Targeting, University Centre for Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen PL (POLAND) Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies «Artes Liberales» - IBIAL, Warsaw University, Warsaw SE (SWEDEN) Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SI (SLOVENIA) Josef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana SK (SLOVAKIA) VUP Food Research Institute, Bratislava UK (UNITED KINGDOM) Institute of Neuroscience, Psychiatry Research Laboratories, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle
PARTICIPANTS' TESTIMONIES Participants' Testimonies GLYKERIA KOUTINA (Ms), Copenhagen, Denmark, July 2012 n Receiving Organization: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark n Duration of the training period: 4/1/2011-4/6/2011 "On a personal basis, I managed to integrate into a very different country, different way of life and thinking, to make new friends from all over the world and to improve my English. Most importantly, I managed to prove my professional value in a foreign work environment. After my 5-month training period, the receiving organization offered me a 6-month contract and then I was selected, among 40 candidates, as a PhD researcher at the University of Copenhagen". ENTELA DIAMANTI (Ms), Munich, Germany, July 2012 n Receiving Organization: Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH, Kaiserslautern, Germany n Duration of the training period: 13/1/2011-13/5/2011 "I gained knowledge and skills on my field of studies. I improved my English and I also started taking german language classes. I had the opportunity to search and find a job in Germany after the training period. Today, I work in the Research and Development Department of a big company in Germany. Conclusively, I believe that my participation in the Leonardo programme was a unique and important experience for me". LIA ROUMPIE (Ms), Platamonas/Pieria, Greece, July 2012 n Receiving Organization: Kindergarten "Ta Pedika Chronia" LTD, Nicosia, Cyprus n Duration of the training period: 7/1/2011-7/4/2011 "During my training at the kindergarten I only gained positive experiences. In a short period of time I learned a lot of things not only about teaching, but also about classroom management. To sum up, my participation in the Leonardo programme was very fruitful. I learned how to cooperate with other people and how to adjust to new situations. All these things will guide me in my future career. After the end of the training period I felt more confident about my professional choice to become a kindergarten teacher".
DIMITRIS ANDREOPOULOS (Mr), Bolzano, Italy, July 2012 n Receiving Organization: GEUS, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Copenhagen, Denmark n Duration of the training period: 7/1/2011-7/6/2011 "I gained new knowledge and skills while working in one of the best European research institutes. I cooperated with scientists from all over the world and I improved my English language skills. After the end of my training period, I got a job offer and I kept on working at GEUS for extra 5 months. Today, I work as a PhD researcher at the University of Bolzano in Italy. I strongly believe that I could have never had these professional opportunities, if I had not participated in the Leonardo programme". IRO TZIMA (Ms), Ioannina, Greece, July 2012 n Receiving Organization: Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies "Artes Liberales", IBIAL, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland n Duration of the training period: 7/2/2011-7/5/2011 "After a long period of time, I felt creative and useful. I had never lived abroad before; however my experience of living and working in a foreign country helped me to develop my flexibility. The most important aspect for me is that I gained valuable professional experience. When I returned to Greece I got a job as a teacher in the Center for Greek Language and Culture of the University of Ioannina and as a teacher at a private tuition school. I can definitely say that Leonardo programme was a big life experience for me". OLGA BOUNTAGKIDOU, Thessaloniki, July 2012 n Receiving Organization: VUP Food Research Institute, Bratislava, Slovak Republic n Duration of the training period: 31/5/2011-31/8/2011 «I learned new techniques, I became more familiar with the english terminology, I gained valuable professional experience on my field of studies. Although I had been an Erasmus exchange student in the Netherlands during my university studies, this was the first time that I tested my professional competences. The Leonardo training period reinforced my selfconfidence regarding my knowledge and skills. I would like to thank the University of Ioannina, the Greek Agency for Leonardo, IKY, the European Programme Leonardo Da Vinci and the European Union for giving me this opportunity».
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgements We would like to thank 3 Our 19 transnational partners/receiving organizations for their cooperation during all the stages of the project 3 The trainees' supervisors for their time and their know-how shared with the trainees 3 The 28 participants who successfully underwent their training period abroad under our Leonardo Da Vinci project. We wish them to get the most out of their professional, personal and social experience abroad in their future career and life 3 And last, but not least, the Greek National Agency for LLP/Leonardo Da Vinci, IKY, for having selected and funded our project Designed & Printed at: Printing Office University of Ioannina Project Coordinator: Prof. Venetsanos Mavreas, Vice-Rector of the University of Ioannina Manager: Maria Papadopoulou, MA in Human Rights, Head of Leonardo Da Vinci Mobility Actions for PLM, Vocational Training Center of the University of Ioannina C ONTACT This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication (communication) reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. UNIVERSITY OF IOANNINA INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF HELLENIC EDUCATION - CULTURE & VOCATIONAL TRAINING (DIKEPPEE) "STAVROS NIARCHOS" Vocational Training Centre (KEK) University Campus, 45 110 Ioannina, Greece http://dikeppee.uoi.gr/en-kek-leonardo Ôel.: +30-26510-09141 Fax: +30-26510-09230 E-mail: mpapado@uoi.gr