ERASMUS PLACEMENT: PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

1. ERASMUS PLACEMENT: PUT IT INTO PRACTICE Dr. Franca Leonora Morrone Director of the Sector for Lifelong Learning Rome, November 20th, 2009

2. Dissemination procedures at the University of Calabria: a key factor for success Speech Contents • Introduction: Rationale for setting up a consortia for Erasmus Placement • Composition of the Consortia • Impact of Erasmus Placement • Dissemination

3. Rationale for setting up a consortia for Erasmus Placement With the launch of the new Lifelong Learning Programme by the European Commission, in March 2007, the International Relations Unit of the University decided to present a project proposal for an Erasmus Placement Consortia together with other Italian universities which was approved by the Lifelong Learning Programme National Agency. The Consortia is actually the largest existing in Italy The idea for consortia creation by the University of Calabria was based on the long and positive experience gained through the implementation of several projects in the ambit of the previous Leonardo da Vinci Programme for students and graduates mobility and for staff exchanges in Europe.

4. Rationale for setting up a consortia for Erasmus Placement These pilot experiences, developed in the Socrates Programme 2nd phase, through which university students and graduates together with administrative staff were able to apply their theoretical knowledge to real training on the job and exchange of their experiences with people working in other European organizations, were the springboard in our final decision for better implementing student placements and on a wider scale in the ambit of the new Lifelong Learning Programme. Improving employability of students Our decision was reinforced by the fact that our University is in the south of Italy, in Calabria which is among the regions with the highest unemployment rate (27%) and that this situation is even more critical when considering youth unemployment, which reaches the 60%. In this dramatic context the fundamental need is a better qualification for university students in order to improve their employability and we, at the University of Calabria, believed that a work experience in foreign enterprises could satisfy this need

5. Consortia Composition

6. At Conference on Creativity and Innovation in Prague on May 7° 2009 Unical was Awarded for Erasmus Placement Best Practices The University of Calabria fights unemployment with student placements. The University of Calabria and the partners in the "Academic Student Placement in Europe" Project have enthusiastically embraced work placements. The International Relations Unit at the University has worked hard to promote and assist work placements, against the background of youth unemployment in the region of Calabria, which is over fifty per cent. The project's database of European enterprises, organisations and other intermediaries will help many more young people obtain quality placements. Conference Web Site http://www.llp-conference.eu/

7. Impact of Erasmus Placement New services and actions were needed The impact of Erasmus placement on subjects involved (university students, teaching staff, and host enterprises) in these activities has been quite strong because of its innovativeness. The creation of the placement consortia itself represented a novelty because for the first time a network of institutions was constituted and involved in setting out the basic collaboration terms for promoting and facilitating students’ training abroad.

8. A Key Factor for success In order to promote and facilitate at best students’ training abroad, as anticipated in the previous slide, new services and actions we required at institutional level. Above all it was necessary to widely engage our stakeholding community with the A.S.P.E. Consortia initiatives and this was done through massive communication and dissemination campaigns. A preliminary plan for communication and dissemination was agreed upon among the universities belonging to the consortia because, as you know, joint Project activities can find mutual synergies and become more effective if planned and performed according to a clear and agreed plan. Dissemination

9. Dissemination Strategy Dissemination included a large variety of actions that contributed to make the Project and its activities known and understood by a large number of stakeholders. The Consortia engaged in several wide dissemination activities, including the spread of awareness and also the production of the project’s promotion material. The objective of the dissemination strategy was to inform every interested party about the existence of the A.S.P.E. Project, its goals and aims, along with its expected and later on actual results. Elements used for dissemination A.S.P.E. Consortia tools and instruments for exploitation and dissemination, include: • Creation of the A.S.P.E. brand • Project Web Site with specifically created on line management tool ; • Promotional activities and materials

10. Dissemination products The A.S.P.E. Consortia brand has been created upon agreement of all the partners universities. All around it reports the logos of the universities belonging to the Consortia partnership

11. Project Web Site http:aspe.llpmanager.iton line management tool Other than the creation of a Project web site (see address above), a specific on line management tool, called aspe.llpmanager, has also been set up for the management of Erasmus placement activities. From the snapshot on the right of the screen you can see the part of the tool to which students have access. It contains all infornation on Erasmus Placement necessary for them (yearly notice of competition, application etc.) and all documents required for performing their training abroad. The tool has also a part reserved to teachers and staff. It includes a d-base of host enterprises.

12. Dissemination Activities • Individuation of Targets • Main Objective • Results of Dissemination in last 2 academic years Students aged between 19 and 25 Stimulate growing interest for Erasmus Placement 2007/08 -308 students applied 2008/09-470 students applied

13. Communication Material, Instruments and/or Tools Press Release (Throughlocalnewspapers, web site, online newsletter, institutional mailing list) Advertising and Promotional Event “Erasmus Placement Info Day” Poster and Card “Discover Europe!” Let’s see some material

14. Poster and Card The main idea is that of a trip, but limited to Europe, the territory in which the project is developed. Some of the plugs in the puzzle, that constitute the background, in fact reveal some of the most famous monuments in Europe, and this, just as if the main objective of the puzzle game is to discover Europe obviously through the Erasmus Placement experience

15. Promotional Materials Academic Year 2009/2010 Audio spot: “Customer Care” The Erasmus Placement Service of the University of Calabria welcomes you! Our students are all busy for a 4 month’s training abroad. If you also want to leave, then press 1 for London, 2 for Barcelona, 3 for Paris, 4 for all other European cities. If you want more information, please hang up and go soon to bandoaspe.it