LEONARDO DA VINCI
Leonardo Da Vinci is the EU action programme
for implementing the European Community's vocational training policy. It aims to
promote transnational cooperation to improve the skills and competencies of
people, especially young people, enhance quality, promote innovation and support
the European dimension of vocational training systems and practices. The total
budget for Leonardo da Vinci is 1.15 billion € over seven years (2000-2006).
The Programme provýdes the Community support
for mobility; pilot projects, including "thematic actions"; language
competencies; transnational networks and reference material. There is also
special provision for “joint actions” with related Community programmes,
particularly the Socrates and Youth programmes. Separate, specific calls for
proposals will be launched for such joint actions.
Proposals may be submitted by private, public
or semi-public organisations and institutions involved in vocational training
(i.e. private individuals may not submit proposals). Potential promoters include:
-
establishments
or training organisations, including universities, which, in accordance with
national laws and/or practices, design or undertake vocational training,
further vocational training, refresher vocational training or retraining,
irrespective of what they may be called in the participating countries;
-
research
centres and organisations responsible for vocational training surveys and
analyses;
-
undertakings,
particularly SMEs, and the craft trade sector, or private or public firms,
including businesses active in the vocational training field;
-
professional
organisations, including chambers of commerce etc;
-
the social
partners;
-
local and
regional bodies and organisations;
-
non-profit
associations, voluntary organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
THE PROGRAMME ACTIONS
Mobility:
Proposals submitted under this
heading must consist of
transnational mobility actions for people in training, more especially young
people undergoing training or endeavouring to enter the labour market, young
employed workers or job seekers, recent graduates, students registered in higher
education establishments (projects referred to as “placements”). They may also
be aimed at trainers or human resources managers and training scheme managers,
at language specialists and at social partners (projects referred to as “exchanges”).
The basic characteristic of this action is to
strengthen the European dimension of initial and continuing vocational training,
to encourage people to gain experience in activities involving theory and
practice, particularly work-linked training, to develop language skills and
transnational contacts and exchanges of good practices for trainers and human
resources managers.
This type of measure is also useful in
consolidating transnational co-operation in a broad sense, bringing in all
actors on the vocational training scene. It is also a good way of strengthening
the links between working life and training.Mobility projects are implemented on a
decentralised basis, i.e. proposals are submitted to the National Agency of the
country of the promoter.
Pilot Projects:
Community support is available for the design, development, testing, evaluation
and dissemination of innovative practices in terms of methods, content or
products in the field of vocational training and guidance. Pilot projects
are intended to stimulate the process of innovation and to enhance the quality
of training and vocational guidance. They must develop tangible products, using
new information and communication technologies where appropriate.
Under this measure, special support will be
given to a small number of projects, known as “thematic actions”, on themes of
particular interest at Community level. These themes are indicated in the
Community calls for proposals. For Call for proposals 2003-2004 two specific
themes are retained: “quality” and “inter-cultural dialogue”.
Language Competencies:
These proposals aim to promote language and cultural competencies in a
vocational training context including projects on less widely used and taught
languages. Proposals may be concerned with designing, testing and validating,
assessing and disseminating teaching material, as well as with innovative
teaching methods tailored to the specific needs of different occupational and
economic sectors. They may also cover the development of language audits and
innovatory pedagogical approaches based on language self-tuition and the
dissemination of the results.
Transnational Networks:
The Leonardo da Vinci supports transnational networks of European expertise and
dissemination. These networks undertake three functions:
-
assembling,
distilling and building on European expertise and innovatory approaches;
-
improving the
analysis and anticipation of occupational skills requirements;
-
disseminating
the networks outputs and project results throughout the Union in the
appropriate circles.
Reference Material:
Community support is provided for the creation and updating of the Community
reference material, more especially for surveys and analyses, the creation and
updating of comparable data, the observation and dissemination of good practice,
and the exhaustive exchange of information. On a given theme, it is the purpose
of such reference material to make it possible at the Community level to record
the specific characteristics and changes in national vocational training systems.
Duration of Actions
|
Measures |
Maximum duration |
|
Mobility
Ø
Placements
- Persons
undergoing initial training
- Students in
higher education
- Young
workers and recent graduates
Ø
Exchanges |
Of the project
2 years
2 years |
Of each placement or
exchange
3 weeks to 9 months
3 to 12 months
2 to 12 months
1 to 6 weeks
|
|
Pilot projects
|
3 years |
|
Language competencies |
3 years |
|
Transnational networks |
3 years |
|
Reference material |
3 years |
Financial Support
The financial contribution provided by the Community to projects may not exceed
a certain part of the eligible costs. Co-financing is the core principle of the
programme. The main reason behind this is that a partnership contributing a
certain proportion of the funding will demonstrate commitment and credibility.
|
Measures |
Maximum financial contribution in %
of the total eligible costs |
Ceiling of Community financial support per year and per project (Euro) |
|
Mobility |
NA |
5 000 per beneficiary and
per placement or exchange |
|
Pilot projects
Ø of which:
thematic actions |
75 % |
200 000
300 000 |
|
Language competencies |
75 % |
200 000 |
|
Transnational networks |
50 % |
150 000 |
|
Reference material |
50-100 % |
200 000 (Up to 300 000
possible) |
For further information:
|
 |
