LLP Assistantship Guide

Assistantships UK Guidelines for Applicants 2013 Call

UK National Agency Leonardo, Grundtvig & Transversal Programmes.

Ecorys Vincent House | Quay Place 92-93 Edward Street | Birmingham | B1 2AR

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INTRODUCTION This Guide for Applicants is intended to help you complete your application for funding under the Grundtvig Assistantships Programme, the deadline for which is 28 March 2013, for Assistantships that are to take place between 1 August 2013 and 31 July 2014. It contains information on: 1. Grundtvig Assistantships (who can apply) 2. Organising your Assistantship 3. Funding available 4. Completing the application form 5. Submitting the application form

Please make sure you read this document carefully as failure to complete the Application Form correctly or to meet the deadline will make your application ineligible.

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1. GRUNDTVIG ASSISTANTSHIPS What are Grundtvig Assistantships?

Grundtvig is part of the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) and aims to strengthen the European dimension in adult education. Grundtvig Assistantships are designed for staff involved in adult education to work in another participating country, to learn about different practices in the field with the aim of enhancing their professional development.

As Grundtvig Assistantships are open to all adult education staff, the level of experience and seniority of participants varies.

What is meant by Adult Education?

Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Within Grundtvig, the definition of an ‘adult’ is a person aged 18 and above, no longer undergoing initial education within the formal school or higher education system.

Adult education could take place in colleges and other formal settings including lifelong learning centres and through 'extension' or 'continuing education' courses at schools, colleges or universities. Non formal and informal settings may include community centres, hospitals, care homes and prisons – to name just a few.

PLEASE NOTE: Adult Education relates to learning for personal development where the focus is on non-vocational/non-formal learning related to 'the love of learning'. Vocational Education relates to the development of knowledge and skills linked to enhancing employability and professional development and this type of activity IS NOT eligible under the Grundtvig programme.

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Who can apply for funding?

If you are a UK national, or a national of another country living or working in the UK, then you can apply to the UK National Agency (NA) for an Assistantship. Grundtvig Assistantships are for those at any stage in their career who are already working on a part-time or full-time basis anywhere in the non-vocational, adult education sector. This applies to volunteer staff as well as those who are formally employed, and includes notably: 

teachers/trainers in adult education in the broadest sense (encompassing formal, non-formal and informal learning)



heads and managerial / administrative staff of organisations directly or indirectly involved in providing adult learning opportunities



staff involved in intercultural adult education, or working with migrant groups, travellers, occupational travellers and ethnic communities



staff working with adults with special learning needs



staff such as mediators and street educators working with adults at risk



counsellors or career advisors



staff working in local or regional authorities dealing with adult education, including the inspectorate

In addition there are others working in adult education who might benefit from being a Grundtvig Assistant, for example: 1. Those involved in the training of adult education staff (who must themselves be working with adult learners).

2. Those who can demonstrate1 a clear intention of working in adult education but who are currently in a different situation (work in another field, have retired, are absent from professional life due to family responsibilities, unemployment etc.), whether or not they have worked in adult education before.

3. Those who have completed a qualification leading to a career in adult education and intend to start working in the sector.

4. Students who have completed at least two years of study leading to a degree or equivalent qualification in adult education / andragogy or who are enrolled in Masters level studies in this field.

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Applicants can demonstrate their intention to re-enter/re-start their career in Adult Education by drawing upon prior work experience or by providing any other evidence of their commitment to Adult Education. They must also give detailed information on their placement and identify a link between the content of their Assistantship and the work they intend to go into on their return to the UK.

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Are there are administrative priorities I should be aware of?

Yes. Please take note of the following two Administrative Priorities: 1. Applicants who have previously been funded by the UK NA to undertake a Grundtvig Assistantship are not eligible to apply.

2. Only one UK Assistantship per host organisation in another participating country can be funded.

Applicants can check with the host organisation abroad if they have already agreed to accept a UK Assistant. If two or more applicants are to be hosted by the same organisation the highest scoring application only will be funded.

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2. ORGANISING YOUR ASSISTANTSHIP Where can the Assistantship take place?

Assistantships can take place in any LLP participating country other than the UK. There are 33 participating countries for 2013: 

27 Member States



EFTA/EEA countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland



2 candidate countries – Croatia and Turkey



"Overseas countries and territories" defined by Council Decision 2001/822/EC (amended by Council Decision 2007/249/EC). This can be found in the Call for Proposals 2013: Guide Part I ‘General Provisions’ found on our website www.grundtvig.org.uk

How long should the Assistantship last?

Assistantships must last between 13 and 45 weeks and can take place anytime between 1 August 2013 and 31 July 2014.

How can I find a host organisation?

The first and most important step in submitting an application for funding to undertake an Assistantship is to identify a suitable host organisation and agree with them the type of activities that you might carry out.

These should be in line with your training needs and be of benefit to the host organisation.

In order to help potential applicants who are looking for an organisation in another participating country to host an Assistantship, the UK National Agency has compiled a list of organisations that have contacted us, and are willing to act as a host. This list is published on the Assistantships page of our website:

www.grundtvig.org.uk > How to Apply > Assistantships > Host Profiles Other possible alternatives to finding a suitable host organisation include: 

internet searches for adult education organisations in the country or countries of interest



contacting Grundtvig National Agencies in other participating countries, indicating the type of placement you are seeking. A template to help you do this can be downloaded from the Assistantships page of our website: www.grundtvig.org.uk > How to Apply > Assistantships > Assistant Profiles. In addition the addresses of all National Agencies can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc1208_en.htm

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

sending us a copy of your completed profile to grundtvig@uk.ecorys.com for publication on the UK Grundtvig website

In order for an application to be eligible it must be accompanied by a Letter of Acceptance from the host organisation. This letter should be on the headed paper of this organisation and be signed by the person overseeing the Assistantship on their behalf. It should also contain the following: 

the name of the applicant



a statement that the organisation agrees to host the Assistantship in accordance with the application for funding submitted



a brief description of the proposed activities to be carried out during the Assistantship



the provisional start and end date of the Assistantship

What activities will I be required to undertake?

The type of activities an Assistant might undertake includes: 

assisting in facilitating learning, or with some aspect of managing adult education;



providing support for adults with special educational needs;



providing information on the UK and assisting in the teaching of English;



introducing or reinforcing the European dimension in the host organisation;



initiating, developing and assisting in the implementation of projects.

How many hours a day will I be required to work?

Assistants should be fully integrated in life at the host organisation, so the weekly timetable of activities should ideally be greater than 5 hours a day and between 4-5 days a week.

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3. FUNDING AVAILABLE The amount of funding available is determined by the duration of an Assistantship and the country in which it is to be undertaken. The funding available is intended as a contribution to the costs involved in an Assistantship and as such may not cover all expenditure. It is broken down into 3 components, as indicated in section 7 of the application form, these are: 

Linguistic, cultural and pedagogical preparation (lump sum)



Subsistence (flat-rate)



Special needs (lump sum)

Please note that if an application is successful it is not possible to award more than has been requested in the Budget, section 7, of the application form.

Linguistic, cultural and pedagogical preparation (lump sum) You can apply for a contribution of up to €500 towards the real costs of linguistic, cultural and pedagogical preparation. This is intended to help applicants prepare adequately for an Assistantship and to make the most of the time spent in the host country. Language preparation may, for example, include self-study or participation in a language course.

Subsistence (flat-rate) Using the table below it is possible to calculate the grant to which applicants are entitled, and you should use this figure in making the grant request for subsistence in section 7 of the application form. Please note that the amount for subsistence represents the vast majority of the grant and covers the following types of expenditure: 

Travel to and from the host country



Visa costs



Local travel during the Assistantship



Travel insurance



Accommodation and general living costs

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2013 UK Subsistence Rates (€) DAILY RATE in the 13TH WEEK

TOTAL AMOUNT for 13 WEEKS

DAILY rate for each ADDITIONAL DAY

WEEKLY rate for each ADDITIONAL WEEK

AUSTRIA (AT)

25.97

4084.20

25.97

181.80

BELGIUM (BE)

24.43

3857.40

24.43

171.00

BULGARIA (BG)

15.81

2566.80

15.81

110.70

CROATIA (HR)

23.01

3650.40

23.01

161.10

CYPRUS (CY)

21.60

3409.20

21.60

151.20

CZECH REPUBLIC (CZ)

21.60

3416.40

21.60

151.20

DENMARK (DK)

33.17

5225.40

33.17

232.20

ESTONIA (EE)

18.77

3007.80

18.77

131.40

FINLAND (FI)

30.21

4763.70

30.21

211.50

FRANCE (FR)

28.80

4529.70

28.80

201.60

GERMANY (DE)

23.01

3620.70

23.01

161.10

GREECE (EL)

23.01

3657.60

23.01

161.10

HUNGARY (HU)

20.19

3246.30

20.19

141.30

ICELAND (IS)

25.97

4280.40

25.97

181.80

IRELAND (IE)

27.39

4289.40

27.39

191.70

ITALY (IT)

27.39

4313.70

27.39

191.70

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2013 UK Subsistence Rates (€) DAILY RATE in the 13TH WEEK

TOTAL AMOUNT for 13 WEEKS

DAILY rate for each ADDITIONAL DAY

WEEKLY rate for each ADDITIONAL WEEK

LATVIA (LV)

18.77

3043.80

18.77

131.40

LIECHTENSTEIN (LI)

37.41

5904.00

37.41

261.90

LITHUANIA (LT)

18.77

3013.20

18.77

131.40

LUXEMBURG (LU)

24.43

3864.60

24.43

171.00

MALTA (MT)

20.19

3185.10

20.19

141.30

NETHERLANDS (NL)

25.97

4075.20

25.97

181.80

NORWAY (NO)

37.41

5906.70

37.41

261.90

POLAND (PL)

18.77

2970.90

18.77

131.40

PORTUGAL (PT)

21.60

3397.50

21.60

151.20

ROMANIA (RO)

17.23

2793.60

17.23

120.60

SLOVENIA (SL)

23.01

3649.50

23.01

161.10

SLOVAKIA (SK)

20.19

3185.10

20.19

141.30

SPAIN (ES)

24.43

3863.70

24.43

171.00

SWEDEN (SE)

30.21

4765.50

30.21

211.50

SWITZERLAND (CH)

37.41

5856.30

37.41

261.90

TURKEY (TR)

20.19

3323.70

20.19

141.30

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Special needs (lump sum) Additional funding can be provided in the case of applicants with special needs. A person with special needs might be someone whose physical, mental or health-related situation is such that their participation would not be possible without extra financial support. Applicants wishing to claim for this component of expenditure should ensure they complete section 2.4 of the application form, describing the arrangements that need to be made to enable their participation. The amount of funding requested in respect of special needs should also be included in section 7, as part of the overall grant request.

For those with special needs the table above for subsistence rates also applies to accompanying persons What documentation should I retain in order to evidence costs and activities?

All approved participants will be sent guidance containing examples of the sorts of documents you should keep. However as a general rule, as to what documentation you should retain in order to evidence costs and activities, we recommend that you simply retain everything.

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4. COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FORM The number of Assistantships that can be funded by the UK National Agency is limited and as such applications will be assessed according to their quality and only the best will be funded.

What documents are available?

The 2013 Grundtvig Assistantships application form, and all other relevant documents, can be accessed through the “How to apply” section of our website: www.grundtvig.org.uk What eligibility checks should I carry out before submitting my application?

Reference to eligibility criteria is made in other sections of this guidance; however a comprehensive list of criteria is detailed below. Please note that if an application is ineligible it will not be subject to a qualitative assessment.

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Please note that applicants who have previously been funded by the UK National Agency to undertake a Grundtvig Assistantship are no longer eligible to apply.

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The application has been submitted by post to the UK National Agency and an electronic version emailed to grundtvig@uk.ecorys.com Please note: if the applicant resides in a country outside the UK, the application must be sent to the National Agency in that country.

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The application form has been submitted by the published deadline.

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The application has been submitted using the correct application form

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The application form is not handwritten

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The application form has been completed in full and includes a letter of acceptance from the host organisation.

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The application form has been completed in one of the official languages of the EU (English).

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The application submitted to the National Agency bears the applicant's original signature (not an electronic signature of photocopy).

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If the applicant is employed, the application form is also signed by the applicant's employer organisation (the legal signatory at the employer organisation).

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The applicant is a national of a country participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme or a national of another country working or living in a participating country.

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The applicant belongs to at least one of the staff categories eligible for a grant under the Grundtvig Assistantships programme (Please see Section 1, Who can apply for funding?)

□

The type of activity to be undertaken is eligible under the Grundtvig Assistantships programme (Please see Section 1, What is an Assistantship?)

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□

The Assistantship will take place in one of the countries participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme.

□

The Assistantship will take place in a country other than the country where the applicant is living or working (and not the UK).

□

The Assistantship takes place within the eligible period (between 1 August 2013 and 31 July 2014).

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The Assistantship is eligible in terms of duration (between 13 and 45 weeks).

What Quality Criteria will my application form be assessed against?

Please complete the application form in full, paying careful attention to the questions in each section, and ensuring that answers are relevant. In particular it would greatly increase the chances of success if applicants provided detailed information in the areas outlined below.

Content (section 3.1.2 of the application form) This section enables applicants to provide information on what they will actually be doing during the Assistantship and has commonly been the weakest section of applications submitted in the past. As Assistantships must last for more than 13 weeks it is not expected that a day-to-day programme of activities is provided for the entire duration, however an example of what tasks will be undertaken, including timings, of a normal day or week, does enhance the quality of an application greatly.

The activities to be undertaken must also be consistent with the information provided in other sections of the application form. In particular they must be in line with the professional development needs as stated in section 4 of the application form, and the Letter of Acceptance, provided by the host organisation. It is recognised that the precise nature of the content of the Assistantship may not be fully developed at the time of applying, and may evolve over time, but it is important that details are provided at this stage, even if it is only provisional. Ideally the weekly timetable of activities should be greater than 5 hours a day.

Impact (sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 of the application form) These sections focus on the reasons for applying in the first place and are therefore the basis of a good quality Assistantship. It is expected that the Assistantship will have a positive impact on your professional development and on your current or future employer organisation and learners.

You should also clearly indicate how you intend to incorporate the results of the Assistantship into your current or future role as an adult educator, and provide details to show how this will be achieved

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European added value (sections 4.4 of the application form) This section of the application is crucial because it describes how the Assistantship is different form a similar activity that might take place in the UK. It helps to provide the justification for awarding a grant for mobility to another European country. Applicants are also asked to describe how the Assistantship will add to the European dimension in any current or future organisation where applicants might work as an adult educator; and, during the Assistantship, how the applicant will add a European dimension to the host organisation.

For those applying to undertake an Assistantship where they will be teaching English as a foreign language, it must be explained why this cannot be achieved by undertaking such work in the UK, and the benefits that will be derived by doing this abroad. Although a grant is available, this is not of itself adequate justification, and does not represent the European added-value required of a Grundtvig Assistantship.

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5. SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION FORM When should I submit my application form?

A signed hard copy of your completed application form must be posted to Ecorys on or before 28 March 2013 (before the last postal collection). Any applications with a postmark dated after 28 March 2013 will not be eligible. For this reason it is strongly recommended that you obtain proof of postage in case of any queries.

Does my application form need to be endorsed?

If you currently work in the adult education sector it is important that your application is endorsed, and signed, by your employer. In cases where applicants are not currently involved in adult education, the UK National Agency may give precedence to those who can demonstrate that they will soon be working in the field, for example, by providing a letter of support from their future employer).

For those applying without a letter of support, for example those wishing to enter or re-enter the field of adult education, applications will be significantly strengthened if they can demonstrate any prior experience or evidence of their commitment to becoming adult educators.

Where should I send my application?

Please submit your application form by: 1. Email Please send, by 28 March 2013, a copy via email to grundtvig@uk.ecorys.com – please state ‘Assistantships application form' as the subject of your email. The application form should preferably be emailed as an unprotected MS Word document.

2. Post If you are employed, the application form has to be endorsed and signed by an individual that has the authority to sign official documents on behalf of the organisation. Post the original, signed, hard copy of the application form together with the Letter of Acceptance from the host organisation, on or before the deadline date, to: Grundtvig National Agency, Ecorys, Vincent House, Quay Place, 92-93 Edward Street, Birmingham B1 2RA.

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Please ensure you pay the correct amount for postage and ensure that you obtain a proof of posting.

If you have any questions or would like further advice on applying for an Assistantship please email grundtvig@uk.ecorys.com or call us on 0845 199 1919.

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