Over the last two years, Rinova has participated as a partner in the Leonardo da Vinci project CERF, connected to the European Reference Framework of Key Competences for Lifelong Learning.

Known as the ERF, this Framework defines eight ‘key competences’ that European citizens require for their personal fulfilment, social inclusion, active citizenship and employability in a changing, knowledge-based society.

This topic was explored in detail at the CERF European Conference, which took place at the Municpal Art Gallery in Larissa, Greece, on the 19th September.

Hosted by the project co-ordinator, Dimitra ITD, the event was attended by more than 200 delegates, at which experts from across Greece were joined by speakers representing the CERF partners from the UK, Spain, Sweden and Cyprus.

Pictured Right: Delegates at the CERF Conference in Larissa, Greece, hear Vaso Anastopolou of Dimitra speaking about the CERF programme. Pictured Below: Rinova’s Director, Richard Parkes, speaks to the Conference about the importance of cultural awareness and expression in the modern labour market.

As well as its participation in all of the project’s core activities, Rinova’s specific role has been to develop a trainer guide and learning curriculum for the ERF Key Competence ‘Cultural Awareness and Expression’.

This work, along with the wider CERF agenda, was presented to a group of stakeholders in London at a seminar on the 26th June, held at Hampstead Town Hall (see picture below). The seminar also explored the ways in which the work undertaken on CERF would be relevant to the forthcoming ‘Erasmus +’ programme, which will replace the Lifelong Learning Programme from 2014.

The CERF partnership has also published its final newsletter, which can be downloaded here.

Although the CERF project itself is now coming to an end, the CERF partners are committed to continuing to work together in a range of ways to build upon and sustain the experience gained through the project, and to promote more widely its deliverables and results.

As part of this commitment, the CERF partnership has established a Virtual European Community of Stakeholders, which is open to all those who are involved in lifelong learning. You can register to join the CERF Virtual Community by clicking here.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.