Eurodesk Brussels Link B u l l e t i n November 2013
Deadlines up to 15 February 2014 Documentation European Opportunities Highlights Upcoming Events Quote of the month EBL Activities Network Calendar
Deadlines Deadlines up to 15 February 2013 Deadline Reminder: http://www.eurodesk.eu/edesk/SearchDb.do?go=1 Reference number EU0010000591
1 November 2013
European Development Days 2013 video contest
EU0010000594
10 November 2013
EUCIS-LLL Photo Contest
EU0010000560
15 November 2013
EU0010000178
15 November 2013
EU0010000138
24 November 2013
EU0010000091
29 November 2013
Translation training placements at the European Parliament Translation Traineeships at the European Parliament for university graduates Partnership Programme on European Youth Worker Training Traineeships at the Council of Europe
EU0010000441
30 November 2013
Your Europe, Your Say - Get involved today!
EU0010000084
30 November 2013
EU0010000329
1 December 2013
Support for information measures relating to the Common Agricultural Policy BEST courses for students of technology
EU0010000504
10 December 2013
Preparatory Action-Your first Eures job
EU0010000568
11 December 2013
European Social Innovation Competition
EU0010000476
15 December 2013
International Millennium Youth Camp 2014
EU0010000302
15 December 2013
EU0010000450
30 December 2013
danceWEB - European Scholarship Programme for Contemporary Dance Most Youth Friendly European Region Award
EU0010000587
31 December 2013
Raoul Wallenberg International Essay Competition
EU0010000581
31 December 2013
EU0010000413
15 January 2014
International Student Design Competition 2014 - A Society for All Ages Bogliasco Fellowships Programme
EU0010000064
20 January 2014
Vulcanus in Japan
EU0010000386
20 January 2014
European Charlemagne Youth Prize
EU0010000389
30 January 2014
EU0010000412
31 January 2014
Traineeship at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) International Radio Playwriting Competition
EU0010000225
31 January 2014
European University for Postgraduate Research
EU0010000004
1 February 2014
EU0010000530
7 February 2014
Traineeships and Study Visits at the European Parliament Young Researcher of the Year Award 2014
EU0010000545
10 February 2014
International Schools Essay Competition and Debate
EU0010000028
13 February 2014
EU-Japan Training programmes
Deadline
Programme Title
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Documentation VoteWatch Europe Report A report on the ten votes that shaped youth policy in the 2009-2014 European Parliament legislature has been published by the VoteWatch Europe in partnership with the European Youth Forum. The report shows how each of the political groups has voted on youth-related issues, in particular those concerning education and measures to reduce youth unemployment. http://www.votewatch.eu/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/10-votes-thatshaped-youth-policy-in-the-2009-2014-ep.pdf Eurydice report: The National Student Fee and Support Systems 2012/13 Of the 32 countries covered in the report, the United Kingdom charges the highest amount of student fees, while a number of countries, mainly Nordic, apply a 'no fee' regime for all students. The report tries to capture all main costs charged to students and not only those that are officially defined as 'fees'. In Ireland, for example, few students officially pay tuition fees, yet students are obliged to pay 'student contributions' that are higher than fees in most other European countries. The national information sheets in the report not only show the amount of fees students (including international students) pay during first and second cycle education, but also show the financial support available to them in the form of need and merit-based grants, loans and other tax benefits and family allowances. http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/facts_and_figures/fees_s upport.pdf Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) The first international Survey of Adult Skills, published by the OECD and European Commission, assesses the literacy, numeracy and problem-solving ICT skills of adults aged 16-65 in 17 EU Member States. The survey finds that one in five adults in Europe has low literacy and numeracy skills, and even a university degree in the same subject is no guarantee of the same level of skills in different countries. The findings underline the need to target investment at improving education and training to increase skills and employability in European countries. The survey wants to help countries to better understand how education and training systems can nurture these skills. http://www.oecd.org/site/piaac Women active in the ICT sector According to a new study published by the European Commission, there are too few women working in the ICT sector, but getting more girls interested in a digital career and getting more women into digital jobs would benefit the digital industry, women themselves and Europe's economy. The study suggests four priority areas where action should be taken: building a renewed image of the sector among women and society, empowering women in the sector, increasing the number of women entrepreneurs in ICTs and improving working conditions in the sector. Women active in the ICT sector Impact of mobile EU citizens on national social security systems According to a study published by the European Commission, in most EU countries, EU citizens from other Member States use welfare benefits less intensively than the host country's nationals. EU mobile citizens account for a very small share of beneficiaries of cash benefits and the budgetary impact of such claims on national welfare budgets is very low. The study also finds that non-active EU mobile citizens
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represent a very small share of the total population in each Member State and between 0.7% and 1.0% of the overall EU population. In sum, the study highlights that the majority of mobile EU citizens move to another Member State to work and that the so called benefit tourism is neither widespread nor systematic. http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=10972&langId=en Official Facebook page for Erasmus+ The European Commission launched the official Facebook page for Erasmus+, the EU's new programme for education, training, youth and sport (2014-2020). The page is meant for anyone who is interested in new opportunities to study and train abroad or in learning about the EU's new programme. To better spread the word, the page is hosting a give-away and on the 3rd of November ten lucky winners will be drawn from among the pool of followers and will receive an Erasmus+ prize pack filled with t-shirts, headphones and more. https://www.facebook.com/EUErasmusPlusProgramme ECSO Portal Launched by the European Commission, the portal offers a multilingual classification of occupations, skills, competences and qualifications. Its objective is to help jobseekers and employers to match skills to jobs. The portal is targeted to learners, workers and businesses. https://ec.europa.eu/esco Debating Europe Vote 2014 Launched by Debating Europe, the pan-European online e-Vote gives citizens a chance to decide for themselves who they want to vote for in the 2014 European Parliament elections. The forum hosts online debates, live chats, and physical events, designed to enable Europe’s citizens to question MEPs (and prospective MEPs) on the issues facing Europe, and help make up their mind about who to vote for in the European elections. Users can cast their vote for the European political group they support and a live chart of the European Parliament hemicycle will show the results in real-time. The results will be presented directly to the European Parliament each month. http://www.debatingeurope.eu/vote2014/#.UjxALii_3ZQ YouthRights.Now Campaign AEGEE-Europe, the European Students’ Forum, together with other youth organisations all over Europe, have launched the YouthRights.Now campaign calling for a Legal Framework for young people’s rights in the Council of Europe. The Campaign aims to improve young people’s access to rights, prevent the violations of these rights, and empower young people in accessing their rights. Young people’s rights include education and training, employment, housing, health and the right to a healthy environment, participation, sexual and reproductive health, culture and sport, non-discrimination, as wells as proper information on youth policies and their implementation. http://www.youthrights.eu
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European Opportunities EUCIS-LLL Photo Contest The European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning (EUCIS-LLL), in partnership with the UEF/Learning for Well-Being and InterRail, has launched the Photo contest: “Picture the Future of Learning – Unlocking each and everyone’s unique potential“. Aim of the contest is to present the vision for the future of learning by visual means (photo, image, infographic). A jury will select the 10 best pictures that will be exhibited at the European Parliament during the Lifelong Learning Week from 2nd to 6th December 2013 and three winners will receive an Interail Global Pass. Deadline: 10th November 2013. Find out more: http://www.eucis-lll.eu/futureoflearning Your Europe, Your Say 2014 Secondary school children from the 28 EU Member States are invited to join the simulated youth plenary session and see how the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) decision-making process works in relation to a specific subject. The simulation exercise will take part in two stages. Under the campaign slogan "act, react, impact" the Your Europe, Your Say 2014 will focus on the 2014 European Parliament elections. Schools wishing to take part must register online through the EESC's internet site before 30th November 2013 (midnight Brussels time). After registration has closed, one school from each of the 28 EU Member States will be picked at random, to take part in the simulation exercise. The selected schools will then choose three students in their pre-final year of secondary education (aged 16/17 years) to represent them, as well as a teacher who will accompany them. These people will have to be able to express themselves in English or French. The event will take place in Brussels at the headquarters of the European Economic and Social Committee from 26th to 28th March 2014. The EESC will pay the travel and accommodation expenses of the students and accompanying teacher. Find out more: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.your-europe-your-say-2014 European Social Innovation Competition The 2014 edition of the competition in memory of Diogo Vasconcelos is entitled "The Job Challenge" and aims at highlighting and supporting the best social innovation solutions to help people move towards work or into new types of work. The competition is open to everyone (individuals, organisations or groups) legally established or resident in the 28 EU Member States, or in those countries that established an agreement to participate in the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme. Ideas and proposals from all sources, sectors and all types of organisations including for-profit, non-for-profit, or private companies are welcome. Entries must be original ideas and they may propose new ways to combine or implement existing solutions, but cannot be exact copies of those. The three best project proposals will each be awarded with a prize of €20,000. Deadline: 11th December 2013, 12.00 CET (noon). Find out more: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/socialinnovation/competition/index_en.htm
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Pact Zollverein Residency Programme in Essen, Germany From August to December 2014 PACT Zollverein is offering a residency programme for the development and realisation of projects and productions. The programme is open to professional artists from both Germany and abroad working in the fields of dance, performance, media arts or sound art. Awarded twice yearly by a jury, residencies provide artists a local space and accommodation. Residents will also receive technical support and advisory assistance with press and public relations and dramaturgy. Deadline: 13th December 2013. Further information: http://www.pact-zollverein.de/en/artists-centre danceWEB - European Scholarship Programme for Contemporary Dance The Scholarship Programme offers around 65 young professional dancers, preferably between 22 and 30 years old, the possibility to take part in an intense multinational training programme. The Programme is a 5 week residency taking place from 16th July to 20th August 2014 in Vienna within the framework of the ImPulsTanz festival. The programme focuses on the exchange of ideas and knowledge, further training and meeting with internationally renowned artists gathering in Vienna at ImPulsTanz. A scholarship includes individual coaching by artistic mentors, participation in the research projects and in the technique workshops, admission to all performances of ImPulsTanz, exchange of ideas and contact with the international trainers and choreographers and accommodation in Vienna for the period of the scholarship programme. Deadline: 15th December 2013. Find out more: http://www.lifelongburning.eu/projects/danceweb_scholarships.html International Millenium Youth Camp 2014 The camp is adressed to young people, born between years 1995 and 1998, interested in mathematics, natural sciences, information technology and other sciences. It focuses on the following themes: environmental science and technology; climate change; renewable natural resources and energy; water; information and communication technology and digitalisation; and applied mathematics. It includes lectures, workshops, visits to companies and universities and time for social activities. All educational activities, travel, accommodation and food are free of charge. The camp will take place in summer 2014 in Helsinki, Finland. Deadline: 15th December 2013. Find out more: http://www.technologyacademy.fi/events/millennium-youth-camp/ European Charlemagne Youth Prize 2013 Young people from 16 to 30 years old, from all the EU Member States, are invited to participate in a competition on EU development, integration and European identity issues. The "European Charlemagne Youth Prize" is awarded to projects providing models for young people living in Europe and offering practical examples of Europeans living together as one community. Participants can apply individually or in groups. Representatives of the 28 national projects selected will be invited to the award ceremony in Aachen, Germany in May 2014. The competition is organised by the European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen. Deadline: 20th January 2013. Find out more: http://www.charlemagneyouthprize.eu
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International Radio Playwriting Competition 2013 Young people between 18 and 31 years old, resident outside Britain, are invited to write a radio play of 53-minutes' length on any subject, for up to six characters. The play must be in English, unpublished and must not have been previously produced in any medium. There are two categories, one for writers with English as their first language and one for writers with English as their second language. The two winners from each category will each receive £ 2,000 sterling and a trip to London to see their play being recorded for broadcast on the BBC World Service. There is an additional prize in this year’s Competition, the Georgi Markov award for the most promising script. The prize includes a standard return flight to London, with 2 weeks’ accommodation. Deadline: 31st January 2014, midnight GMT. Find out more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0043kb2/profiles/international-p0043kb2 International Schools Essay Competition and Debate 2014 Living Rainforest has launched an essay competition for young people worldwide, from 7 to 17 years old, and their teachers to encourage them to share their views on what "sustainable living" means to them, and the steps which they believe their countries should be taking in order to achieve it. Primary students (ages 7-11) are invited to submit an essay on the theme “What does sustainable living mean to you?” (maximum 400 words) and secondary students (ages 11-17) should outline their ideas for sustainable living and the steps needed for societies to achieve it (maximum 600 words). First, second and third prizes will be awarded in both categories and one overall Grand Prize Winner will receive a free trip to attend the International Schools Debate in Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire, from 7 th to 10th July 2014, together with a parent and the teacher champion. Deadline: 10th February 2014. Find out more: http://www.livingrainforest.org/explore/schools-debate
Please also look at the Programmes folder within the Eurodesk intranet for news on European and international (funding) opportunities.
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Highlights European Youth Forum European Election campaign launched On October 15th, the European Youth Forum launched its European Election campaign with a Panel Debate on “Youth and the European Elections” at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. The debate featured contributions from Doris Pack MEP, Chair of the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee and Jo Leinen, President of the European Movement International. Young people’s attitudes to Europe and what the EU can do to invest in young people and defeat unemployment are some of the topics highlighted during the debate. The Youth Forum’s campaign, entitled “LoveYouthFuture”, is based around Pledges to Youth which MEP candidates are invited to sign online here. http://tinyurl.com/q7twrcv European Alliance for Apprenticeships adopted On 15th October, the Council of Employment and Social Policy Ministers pointed out the need to provide quality education dispensing key skills to meet labour market needs, support youth entrepreneurship, prevent young people from ending up as NEETs (not in employment, education or training) and establish apprenticeships and traineeships as important tools for getting young people into the labour market. On this last point, the Council adopted a Declaration on the European Alliance for Apprenticeships. The Declaration sets an objective for the Member States to improve the quality and supply of apprenticeship schemes, involving employers, the authorities and the social partners. The high-quality apprenticeship schemes should help integrate into labour market and help solve the problem of the skills mismatch. http://tinyurl.com/pj7twe6
Agreement on European Social Fund On October 17th, the Lithuanian Presidency announced that the funding criteria for the European Social Fund (ESF) were agreed after the successful talks between the Permanent Representatives of the EU Member States (COREPER) and representatives from the European Parliament. The fund will be used to support employment, education, training and social inclusion and will also enable the launch of the Youth Employment Initiative, which in particular aims at supporting young people not in education, employment or training in the regions with the youth unemployment rate above 25 per cent. http://tinyurl.com/ku9grxu 1st EU Eastern Partnership Youth Forum Conclusions Conclusions on the recognition of informal education were prepared during the 1st EU Eastern Partnership Youth Forum, which took place in Kaunas (Lithuania) from 25th to 26th October. They underline that the labour market currently requires competences that formal education programmes lack. Employers increasingly favour workers with practical experience and participation in informal education activities, international exchange programmes, NGO activities, volunteering. The event gathered two-hundred youth leaders, employees of youth organisations and representatives of youth policy from the EU programme Youth in Action and six Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine). The conclusions will be presented to representatives of the EU and Eastern Partnership countries in Brussels in mid-November. http://tinyurl.com/pumsnv5 http://www.youthforum2013.eu
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Improving young people's access to their rights On 28th October, around 30 youth organisations and representatives of the European Court of Human Rights, the European Social Charter Department and the Ibero-American Convention on Youth Rights Experts’ Commission gathered in Strasbourg (France) to attend the roundtable event: “The promotion of Youth Rights in Europe”. Throughout the debate, organised by the European Youth Forum, participants analysed the gaps and strengths of the current human rights framework for youth and shared examples of how treaty monitoring bodies and special procedures mandates integrate youth rights into their work. The discussion also focused on elements in existing legislation, policies and practice at the national level, which recognise and protect the rights of youth. http://tinyurl.com/naguyum
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressrelease_IP-13-978_en.htm?locale=en
European Commission adopts Work Programme for 2014 With the adoption of its Work Programme for 2014, the European Commission identifies the priority growth-enhancing proposals to be completed in the months ahead; focuses on the finalisation of the banking union, the single market and the digital agenda; and ensures that the new measures under the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-2020 swiftly become operational, in particular to combat youth unemployment.
Europemobility Network Survey "Mobile learner" The survey is addressed to anyone who had a mobility experience under any of the following education and learning programmes of the European Union: Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig and Erasmus. The survey aims to measure the impact of the mobility experience at three main levels, personal/interpersonal, educationally and professionally/occupationally. Contributors can win a mini iPad. http://tinyurl.com/omtywwo
IAVE Survey on youth volunteerism The International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) has launched a survey to establish the ten most important areas of interest that youth volunteers of different regions worldwide are more active and/or interested in. This is one of the steps to the development of their Global Youth Volunteers (GYV) initiative, an envisioned platform seeking to engage and connect every young volunteer and their initiatives worldwide, through strategic regional partnerships, with three focus areas: 1. Follow your passion; 2. Build your skills; 3. Multiply your Impact The survey is available here: http://es.surveymonkey.com/s/BKYZ XPM
Please also look at the News folder within the Eurodesk intranet for other European news from the network.
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Upcoming Events 12th-13th November 2013: Fundamental Rights Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania The conference, organised by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), will focus on the issue of “Combating hate crime in the EU� and will be hosted in cooperation with the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Participants from across the EU will explore effective strategies to combat hate crime through legal and policy measures at the national as well as EU level. Participation to the conference is upon invitation only. Find out more: http://fra.europa.eu/en/event/2013/fundamental-rights-conference-2013 14th November 2013: Internships: A Call for Quality-European Youth Forum and Youth Intergroup Round Table, Brussels (Belgium) The aim of the event is to highlight the significance of quality internships for both young people and employers alike, ahead of the expected Commission proposal on a quality framework for traineeships. The event will also showcase the results of a survey on internship conditions within the European Parliament, as well as the initial findings of a multi-stakeholder project on engaging businesses with the European Quality Charter on Internships and Apprenticeships. The event is jointly organised by the European Youth Forum and EP Youth Intergroup in partnership with Microsoft, CSR Europe and Impronta Etica. Deadline to apply: 8th November 2013. Find out more: http://database.youthforum.org/public/event-details/event/454 18th-24th November 2013: Global Entrepreneurship Week For one week, millions of young people around the world will join a growing movement of entrepreneurial people to generate new ideas and to seek better ways of doing things. Dozens of countries are coming together for the first time to host Global Entrepreneurship Week, a global initiative to inspire young people to embrace innovation, imagination and creativity. For more information on how to get involved: http://www.unleashingideas.org 26th-27th November 2013: European Development Days, Brussels, Belgium Organised by the European Commission, the EDD is the leading European forum where the questions and issues about international development cooperation are debated. The forum is the gathering of European development practitioners and their partners worldwide. Its aim is to foster engagement and facilitate the implementation of the agenda for greater aid effectiveness. The forum is also an opportunity to communicate widely on the concrete results of European development cooperation efforts. With Europe already a leader in the volume of its development assistance, the forum aims to consolidate a unified approach to pressing issues and inspire thinking on international cooperation in an open and inclusive manner. Find out more: http://www.eudevdays.eu 27th-29th November Brussels, Belgium
2013:
Europemobility
International
Conference,
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Organised by the Europemobility network, the conference will gather stakeholders, local, regional, national and European actors, mobility coordinators, decision makers and key players to exchange views, experiences and solutions to improve learning mobility schemes. The conference will focus on the structure and quality procedures of the mobility initiatives as foreseen by the 2014-2020 new generations of European programmes. Find out more: http://tinyurl.com/qh46ggf 9th-16th November 2013: World Youth Forum for Ethics in Business, Brussels (Belgium) The World Youth Forum for Ethics in Business (WYFEB) is a leadership programme, which aims to help young professionals and students to develop and strengthen the skills and capacities to take strong leadership in the world. There are participation fees. Find out more: http://www.wfeb.org/wyf/index.html 29th November–6th December 2013: Euro-Arab Training Seminar Cooperation and Action for Democratic Youth Participation, Budapest (Hungary) The seminar, organised by the Council of Europe’s youth sector, aims to further develop and consolidate the competences of youth leaders and multipliers in democratic youth participation in their role as trainers, activists and project managers. Within the context of the Council of Europe campaign for human rights online, the No Hate Speech Movement, the course will also place specific emphasis on combating Hate Speech in the context of Euro-Arab Euro-Mediterranean youth cooperation. Deadline: 7th November 2013. Find out more: http://youthapplications.coe.int/Application-forms 2nd-6th December 2013: Lifelong Learning Week, Brussels (Belgium) The week is organised by the European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning (EUCIS-LLL) and focuses on the on the upcoming European Elections of Spring 2014. At this occasion EUCIS-LLL will launch its Manifesto for the European elections and many events will take place in order to provide ideas on how to modernise education and training systems in Europe. Deadline to register to the Round table on EUCIS-LLL Manifesto “Building together the future of Learning”: 25th November 2013. Find out more: http://www.eucis-lll.eu/news/eucis-lll-news/lifelong-learning-week2013 16th-17th January 2014: Social Entrepreneurs, Have Your Say! Strasbourg, France This large European interactive event on social entrepreneurship and the social economy is organised by the European Commission, in partnership with the European Economic and Social Committee and the City of Strasbourg. The event is a learning platform aiming to widely disseminate information and knowledge of what has taken place so far and to inspire European participants to take further the initiatives and actions in which they are involved. More information on how to get involved and register: http://ec.europa.eu/socialentrepreneurs 9th-11th May 2014: European Youth Event, EP, Strasbourg, France
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Next May the European Parliament will open its doors to up to 5,000 young people from Member States, candidate states and neighbourhood countries, aged between 16 and 30 years, for the European Youth Event (EYE) 2014, which is aimed at generating “Ideas for a better Europe”. There is no fee for attending the EYE 2014 event. However, participants will need to cover their own transport, accommodation and meals. Find out more: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/eye2014/en/news/news.html European Citizenship Training Courses 2013/2014 The courses are meant to support youth workers and youth leaders developing their critical understanding of European Citizenship and encourage them to integrate the topic in their practical work. • Training Course 7: ECTC-ES in Spain (24th February–2nd March 2014) Deadline: 24th November 2013. All details are available here: http://tinyurl.com/p9zgrhk Salto-Youth: Training Calendar The European Training Calendar contains current training offers of different institutions and organisations, such as SALTO, the National Agencies for the YOUTH IN ACTION Programme, non-governmental youth organisations, the European Youth Centres of the Council of Europe and the Partnership Programme on European Youth Worker Training. They are addressed to young people, group leaders, mentors, trainers and other specialists. Find out more: http://www.salto-youth.net/tools/european-training-calendar
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