‘Seeing other ways of working opens your mind and gives you good ideas.’

More than 15 000 education and training specialists and decision-makers from 34 European countries benefited from learning and exchange between 2008 and 2014. Study visits was a programme, part of the EU lifelong learning programme, that provided grants to education and training professionals to go to other European countries and meet other professionals for a week of intensive learning. Cedefop coordinated study visits on behalf of the European Commission in cooperation with national agencies in the participating countries.

The study visits programme closed down in 2014 but opportunities for mobility and exchange are now provided by the Erasmus+ programme. National agencies can provide more information.


Study visits 2008-2014
 

Taking part or hosting a study visit was a good opportunity to:

(a) learn about education and training in Europe, get inspired and change the way things were done

Heads of schools and training centres, head teachers, representatives of national, regional and local authorities, companies and trade unions and others presented experiences from their countries, discussed and analysed examples of good practice. Cedefop collected all this rich information.
If you are looking for information on a topic or for inspiring examples, you can browse:

  • reports where participants summarised their findings and reflections;
  • materials from seminars where participants and organisers came together to reflect further on their learning
  • and publications.

Learning inspired participants with new ideas, which they brought home and developed into suggestions for their work. You may wish to learn more about what participants did.

‘It has been both a relief and inspiration to discover how much we shared: hopes, worries, plans and dreams. Sharing is the most important thing to develop education.’

 

‘We have now more contacts with competent and motivated colleagues from all over Europe to do projects together for a common dream of a European future.’
 

 

 

(b) establish contacts and build cooperation for the future

More than half the participants used their new professional contacts to establish cooperation with other institutions and one third developed cooperation projects. If you are looking for institutions and organisations working in the fields of your interest and expertise, check yearly study visits catalogues.

Study visits leaves a useful toolbox for future successful projects

Schools, colleges, universities, training centres, guidance and employment centres, education authorities, municipalities, non-profit organisations, trade union organisations and others hosted visits and welcomed professionals from other countries.

If you are planning an exchange visit or similar event, you can learn from the study visits programme how to:

‘Study visits is a really good practice of spreading good practices in Europe.’


What is more, most material is available in French, German, English and Spanish!

 

Parsisiųsti

National Agencies

EN

List of Reports (Excel format)

EN

Project contacts

Contact
Study visits team
Contact
Hélène Hamers
Expert