EU-Geschäftsstelle

The EU-Geschäftsstelle as part of the School Supervisory Board for vocational colleges is at the same time advisory centre in respect to questions of school improvement and implementation of new conceptions into the vocational education. Since its foundation in 1995 the EU-Geschäftsstelle has gained as applicant organisation much experience realising, coordinating und evaluating numerous EU-Projects, e.g. Projects of Innovation, Multilateral Comenius Projects, ESF-Projects, Interreg-Projects and Mobility Projects for students and for education-professionals. Some were awarded “Good Practice”.

Furthermore it participates as project partner in some EU-Projects of different types. The staff consists of 5 persons. All were educated as teachers. Most of them are still working part-time in vocational colleges and are involved in LdV mobility projects in their vocational colleges as well. The Cologne network AVANCER PLUS was founded and is managed by the EU-Geschäftsstelle. It is originated from the project AVANCER ENSEMBLE which was subsidised by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. Its objective is the promotion of the Franco-German exchange in the field of the vocational education.  Within the context of many EU-Projects such as the Interreg-Projects ‘Euregiokompetenz’ and ‘Euregiokompetenz PLUS’, the Comenius-Project EASE, the Sokrates Project ‘Coala’ the Innovation Project ‘CarEasyVET’, the projects Carolingua and BorderCompetences as well as numerous Mobility-Projects the EU-Geschäftsstelle gained a lot of experience working in international consortia either as partner or as applicant organisation. Currently mobility projects for students and IVT are managed by the EU-Geschäftsstelle as well as LdV-TOI projects.

Furthermore the EU-Geschäftsstelle’s function and duty is to provide information to all vocational colleges in the region of Cologne about grant applications and application procedures of all types of EU-projects, especially mobility projects. It supports the colleges in developing project-conceptions an in partner-search. Several times a year courses of further education will be offered to those who are responsible for mobility projects in the colleges. The topics are preparation, accomplishment and evaluation of mobility projects as well as preparation of the students before going abroad.