Realization of the project "E-Bridge to mobility" results mainly from the needs emerging on the EU labour market that requires flexibility, mobility, sometimes total change of qualifications, profession, or even country of work but also the increasing need of mobility among young people (aged under 25) and elderly ones (aged over 65). They move from one EU country to another for educational, financial or social reasons. The main aim of our project is to enable those people to enter the reality of a new country easily and successfully pursue their professional and life plans.
It should be emphasized, that a crucial aim of the project is developing the ability to use the ICT technology in the process of self-learning. The course participant receives the same or similar didactic materials in various technologies and tools, and, learns or repeats the acquired knowledge and abilities, using the chosen form. Each of the products is different and requires different abilities in the range of the use of a concrete ICT tool. We will prepare language courses (at A1 level) and products supporting the course, covering the key language, culture and socially-legal issues of a given country. The didactical materials prepared in a wide range of innovative informational and communicational technologies will be available in internet and for mobile phone users.
The consortium will produce:
Didactical materials will be available in German, English and Spanish. The interface for online didactical materials will be prepared in Bulgarian, German, English, Polish, Slovakian, Romanian and Spanish. The languages will be taught with the use of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), VOLL (Vocationally Oriented Language Learning) and IML (Integrated Micro Learning) methodologies.
The Project is connected with The European Job Mobility Portal EURES with its main aim of facilitating free movement within the European Economic Area. Project results will improve the users' professional skills, competitiveness and adaptability to changing working conditions. Professional relations will facilitate intercultural dialogue at the EU level. In a larger scale, workers' mobility can strengthen the position of EU economy and, thus, its position in world economy.
The "E-bridge to mobility" project addresses the needs that emerged after the accession to EU of new countries in 2004 and 2007, as well as the challenges that Europeans will face with development of common labour market. The growing need of flexibility, adaptability and openness to change profession and place of work (including the country) requires complex solutions.The project is focused on creating innovative ICT tools facilitating the process of lifelong learning and mobility. Mobility issues affect people of all ages: students, workers and elderly , retired people, so the target groups of "E-bridge to mobility" are large and diverse. The analysis show that the real obstacle for mobility of Europeans is the lack of knowledge of foreign languages. Another constraint for mobility is the lack of knowledge about culture and every-day life in a country of destination, which often results in strong acculturation stress and serious social problems. The survey "Europeans and mobility: first results of an EU-wide survey" published in February 2006 showed that people from Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Belgium and Estonia are those with the lowest motivation for long-distance mobility. The analysis made by Eurostat demonstrate that only 1.5 % approximately of EU-25 citizens (data before the accession of Bulgaria and Romania) live and work in different country from their country of origin. This number has not been changing for about 30 years. Our project will contribute to improve free movement of citizens with the achievement of full benefits for EU economy and exchange of culture undoubtedly brought with it. We consider the idea of the intensification of activities in this field very important for the EU not only because of economic reasons, but also due to intercultural dialogue.
The aim of the project is a comprehensive on-line assistance for EU citizens dealing with mobility issues. It will be accomplished through development and implementation of innovative ICT tools and learning methodologies in the process of lifelong learning. "E-bridge to mobility will improve professional skills (language and practical) and create e-community of people interested in mobility issues, it will improve the quality of lifelong learning, promote intercultural dialogue in professional training and prepare easily accessible didactic materials used for language education. This kind of assistance will contribute to higher mobility and to the increase of competitiveness of beneficiaries. The new skills will make the potential users more competitive at the labour market and will enable them to undertake the challenge of geographical and job-to-job mobility. The project will also support its users with appropriate tools and information to cope with acculturation stress. They will follow 4 steps: education (language of destination country), practical information (about destination country), participation in Internet forum, establishing on-line contact s (with people from a destination country). At each step innovative information and communication technologies will be used in order to make the activities more attractive and accessible. The added value of the course will be possible job contracts and other interpersonal relationships. Workers exchange and establishing professional contacts will constitute practical effects of the project implementation. During the project's lifetime the users will be engaged in creating the network society. They will have the chance to use their creativity and search for new solutions. This engagement is believed to last beyond the project's eligibility period.
