About the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP)

The European Commission has integrated its various educational and training initiatives under a single umbrella, the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP). With a significant budget of nearly €7 billion for 2007 to 2013, the new programme replaces previous education, vocational training and e-Learning programmes, which ended in 2006.

The program enables individuals at all stages of their lives to pursue stimulating learning opportunities across Europe. There are four sub-programmes focusing on different stages of education and training and continuing previous programmes:

• Comenius for schools

• Erasmus for higher education

• Leonardo da Vinci for vocational education and training

• Grundtvig for adult education

The LEOARDO-Office Brandenburg was charged by the consortium of all Brandenburg universities to develop adequate mobility projects for students and graduates and to apply for their scholarship which is granted from EU funds after being approved through the European Commission.

The LLP provides students and graduates with a valuable opportunity to exercise their technical knowledge and abilities in a practical work environment specific to their training. Moreover, the internship abroad is an opportunity to improve language skills as well as general and intercultural qualifications – such as intercultural communication and cooperation, teamwork abilities, tolerance, open-mindness, adaptability and awareness of other cultures and institutional structures.

Nowadays, lifelong learning is key to jobs on the regional, national and international labour market.

Enterprises and institutions participating in the mobility program benefit from the exchange of innovative scientific knowledge in terms of theory and cutting edge methodologies brought in by the interns. Taking part in the LLP gives companies an opportunity to know the young generation of engineers, economists, natural and social scientists, i.e. future employees, see them perform in a real work atmosphere, and to cross-fertilize and exchange information.

More information on the Lifelong Learning Programme is available at: 

DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service (for students)
http://eu.daad.de/eu/index.html

BIBB – Federal Institute for Vocational Training (for graduates)
http://www.na-bibb.de/leonardo_da_vinci_3.html

European Commission
http://www.ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/index_en.html