ACTIVITIES REPORT
Partners' Institution:
Bildungswerk ver.di
Project's period (from/to):
November 2007 - November 2009
WP concerned:
WP 5 - Inclusion of the ELS portal in the public training and education systems

Objectives of activities carried out:
We tried to promote the use of the portal for training activities in language learning and cultural behaviour in the public learning and educational system.

Description of activities carried out:
Our first activities were concentrated on a regional level in north-east Lower Saxony. We discussed the aims of the portal with all the regional members of a "Round Table" for educational affairs. A letter with invitation for participation in the ELS@work project was sent to all the members not only with please take note of the portal but also were asked to promote the portal in theit own institutional newsletters and black boards etc..
In a second step we informed the responsible official organisation for adult education in Lower Saxony which is part of the Ministry for Education about the advantages in using the portal.We also asked them to promote the portal in their newsletter which is sent to all adult educational institutions in Lower Saxony. At least we planned a common platform for the famous German educational fair "didacta" which took place in Feb 2009. For one week we were presented on the fair with a special demonstration of the portal and a short visit by the Minister for Education in Lower Saxony, Lutz Stratmann.
In march 2009 we wrote a letter to Bernd Lange, member of the European parliament,member of the committee of the European Social Fund for Lower Saxony and also representative for social and economic welfare of the German Trade Union to give support for the ELS project. The portal was promoted in a newsletter to all trade union secretaries who are also responsible for the German model of the "Dual System" of vocational training.
At least in August and beginning September we had sicussions with the board of the "Verein Niedersächsischer Bildungsinitiativen", an adult educational association, serving more than 40 membership organisations and 180 cooperation partners throughout Lower Saxony / Germany.Mr. Hans Weinert as member of the board will participate in the project and invite other departments and employees to do so.

Outcomes:
We could reach important representatives and multipliers for adult education in Lower Saxony.

Evaluation of the work undertaken:
It was hard work to do some lobbyism for the portal. In some cases it was regular daily work which was a hinder for multipliers to support us more. Some representatives seem to be a little bit narrow minded because they considered us as rivals in a difficult education market.