International Newsletter 01/17 · including the development of the road system. Hordaland County Council is involved in many international projects and activities. Our region has

International Newsletter 01/17

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Contents

1. OUR PARTNER REGIONS .......................................................................................................................... 3

2. COOPERATION THROUGH EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS ........ 7

3. PROJECTS ....................................................................................................................................................... 9

4. YOUTH AND INTERNATIONALISATION ........................................................................................... 13

5. WEST NORWAY OFFICE IN BRUSSELS ........................................................................................... 22

6. OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES .............................................................................................. 23

Hordaland County Council is responsible for county policies within the following fields: Higher secondaryeducation, cultural affairs, public transport, dental health, economic development and regional planning,including the development of the road system.

Hordaland County Council is involved in many international projects and activities. Our region has signed coop-eration agreements with several partner regions abroad. The «Hordaland class» programme gives an oppor-tunity for Upper secondary school students in Hordaland, to study in several of these partner regions for one school year. We also cooperate with other countries through membership in European organisations. Hordaland has been an active member of the North Sea Commission. We are also a member of the West Norway Office, one of six Norwegian regional offices in Brussels. EU-programmes such as Interreg and Erasmus+ are among the most important tools for internationalisation in Hordaland.

Hordaland County Council publishes an International Newsletter twice a year, giving a short introduction to the county’s international activities over the previous six months. The overview is not extensive, but nevertheless we hope it gives an idea of the breadth of international activities that take place within our region.

All photos are produced by Hordaland County Council, unless otherwise stated.For more information: www.hordaland.no/internasjonaltEditor: [email protected]

Front page: VET Staff mobility in South Tyrol, view of the apple fields around TerlanoPhotographer: Heidi Bjønnes Larsen, Hordaland County Council

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International Newsletter 1|17

1. OUR PARTNER REGIONS

ORKNEY ISLANDS, SCOTLANDThe management team from the Department of Culture and Sport visited the St. Magnus International festival in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands in June.

Hordaland County Council and Orkney County Council has had a friendship agreement since 1983. This has led to a broad cooperation when it comes to cultural events and projects.

In 2017, it is 900 years since St. Magnus’s martyrdom. Magnus Erlendsson was one of the Norse earls of Orkney who became its patron saint. Therefore, the focus on Norway was em-phasised more than usual. His Royal Highness crown prince Haakon Magnus opened the festival and many other artists and ensembles from Norway were part of the program.

Due to its small population and challenging geography, the Orkney Islands Council has developed interesting solutions within areas such as sport, promotion of art and culture and preservation of cultural heritage.

The Orkney Islands is an interesting place in regards to cultur-al heritage. Several of the Neolithic heritage sites are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The Orkney Islands has devel-oped a relatively large scale of cultural tourism, partly based on these historic sites.

Hordaland and the Orkney Islands will continue their coopera-tion. Next year the Orkney Islands Council is planning a visit to Hordaland.

Contact: [email protected]

The delegation visited UNESCO World Heritage Site Maes Howe, a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave, probably built around 2800 BC. The grass mound hides passages and chambers built of carefully crafted slabs of sandstone that in scale and accomplishment has few equals in prehistoric Europe.

Skara Brae is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site from the Neolithic period.

KAUNAS, LITHUANIA Final conference on “Good models for public administration and services”

Participants from Fjell municipality, Hardanger Council (Hardangerrådet) and Hordaland County Council (HCC) attended the fi nal conference of the project “Good models for public administration and services” from the 20th to the 21st of April 2017 in Kaunas. The Lithuanian Regional Research Institute led the conference. The focus was on presenting good practices from municipalities in Norway, and to enhance project cooperation between the regions.

The fi rst day of the conference was devoted to present good practice from Norway to a wide range of Lithuanian politicians and professionals, at local and national level. Fjell municipali-ty gave two presentations on digitalisation of services.

When visiting Hordaland in 2016 the Lithuanian partners were impressed by the level of municipal cooperation. Trude Rinaldo from the Hardanger Council gave an example of this in her presentation “How to make cooperation between municipali-ties a tool for regional development”.

Finally, Marit Einen from the International Section in Horda-land County Council (HCC) had a presentation about how HCC is using international cooperation as a tool for regional devel-opment. E-health and tourism development was the focus of Sogn og Fjordane County Council and the Western Norway Research Institute.

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On the second day of the conference the participants dis-cussed models for cooperation by using different EU pro-grammes, like the EEA-Grants, Erasmus+ and Nordplus. They also exchanged current needs and relevant areas for cooperation, and had discussions in smaller groups on specific subjects. The most interesting topics for project cooperation were tourism, culture, entrepreneurship, youth participation in local development and youth and sports.

For many of the participants this was the first time they attended an international project. In this respect, it was an experience just to be in an international forum and to discuss shared challenges in local and regional development.

The Norwegian delegation also visited a successful EEA-Grant project. The Vilkija Gymnasiusn Children’s Day Centre is a centre for children and youth with a library, IT-room, equip-ment for creative activities and possibilities for homework assistance.

The municipalities on both sides are staying in contact and hoping for project cooperation in the years to come. A spinoff of this project is also a cooperation within health between Kvam and Jonava municipality. In June 2017, a delegation from Jonava visited Kvam municipality to learn about good models for public health and healthcare services. Some of the institutions they visited was the Centre for Youth, the Family Centre and the community voluntary service “Grannehjelpa”.


A visit to the Vilkija Gymnasiusn Children’s Day Centre. From the left: Butjera Steponaitiene (Librarian at the Centre), Rimantas Dapkus (Project leader, Lithuanian Regional Research Institute), Trude. L. Rinaldo (The Hardanger Council) and Andreas Nordeide (Fjell municipality).

CARDIFF, WALESFood and Drink festival in Cardiff

A delegation from Hordaland County Council and the Univer-sity of Bergen went to the Food and Drink festival in Cardiff in the middle of July. During the festival the 25-year anniversary of the restoration of the Norwegian church as a cultural centre in Cardiff Bay, was marked. The festival was attended by 80 000 people and the Norwegian Church Art Centre provid-ed the locality for the seminars and concerts celebrating the official links.

The Norwegian Church Art Centre

Students and teachers from Sandsli catering school in Horda-land contributed at a stall outside the church where they served a variety of seafood, seaweed and algae to the public. The universities in both Bergen and Cardiff are spearheading research in new food products from the sea. The popular findings from the EU funded research program Food from the Ocean (FFO) were presented. Terje Inderhaug, a member of the Norwegian committee, which raised NOK 1 million for the rebuilding of the church in 1992, attended the festival and anniversary.

The Cardiff event was partly funded through the Erasmus + program, the FFO program by SAM-Scientific Advisory Mechanism, as a collaboration between the Norwegian-Welsh friendship- association, Cardiff County Council, the Norwegian Embassy, Hordaland County Council and the AE-Academia Europaea hubs at the Universities of Bergen and Cardiff.


Hordaland County Council and Sandsli Catering School had a stall outside the church.

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HORDALAND CLASSESFarewell Event in Cardiff

It is a great honour for me to visit Cardiff, and it is a pleasure to be attending the end of year celebrations for our students here. I am very pleased that we, in cooperation with the City of Cardiff Council, are able to offer students from Hordaland a full school year in Wales, and I am proud that so many of our students take advantage of this opportunity – and see it through.

This is how the Director of Education and Training, Svein Heggheim, greeted the Norwegian students at their Farewell Party on the 9th of June this year. In his speech, the Director also paid particular attention to the long-lasting and success-ful partnership with the City of Cardiff Council and the five host schools, Whitchurch High School, Barry Comprehensive School, St. Teilo’s Church in Wales School, Fitzalan High School and Cardiff and Vale College. The cooperation has last-ed for 20 years and on this particular Friday, students, parents, host families and teachers were gathered in the charming Norwegian Church Arts Centre in Cardiff Bay to celebrate the anniversary.

Lord Mayor Cllr Bob Derbyshire spoke warmly to the 19 students who have taken their second year of upper secondary school in Cardiff and thanked them for choosing to live and study in Wales for a year. He wished them the best of luck with future projects and their return to Norway.

Lord Mayor Cllr Bob Derbyshire

The students themselves had planned and organised the entertainment for the evening. Three of the students held a speech together, they performed beautiful songs and the guests were shown a slideshow with pictures from the students’ year in Cardiff. They were all beautifully dressed this Friday evening, with almost all of the girls wearing their “bunad”, the national costume.

After the serious part of the evening, there was time for a buf-fet. An enthusiastic group of students was saying good-bye to each other and enjoyed being among their families, friends and host families in the café section of the church.


Hordaland class

Hordaland class is an exchange programme open to all students from Hordaland who have completed the first year of upper secondary school (Vg1) in General studies or Electronics. After the school year abroad the students return to Hordaland and are either accepted into a third and final school year (Vg3) or into work practice (Elec-tronics). The exchange programme guarantees the same rights as other educational programmes, for example, the right to a student living allowance and travel grant from The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Stat-ens Lånekasse for Utdanning).

How Many?77 “Hordaland class” students have done their second school year abroad during the school year 2016-17.

Cooperative countriesFour secondary schools in Hordaland coordinate the“Hordaland class” programme and are responsible for the follow-up of the students while abroad. The second year students attend schools in:• Cardiff, Wales UK (19 students)• Erfurt, Germany (18 students – 8 students within General studies and 10 students within Electronics)• Normandy, France (14 students)• Missouri, USA (27 students)

Why?The aim of the “Hordaland class” programme is to givestudents in Hordaland the opportunity to live and goto school abroad. Increased knowledge of languages,intercultural competence and new friendships and net-work will equip the students with highly valuable skillsregarding the global and multicultural society.


The Cardiff students 2016-17

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Visit from Erfurt

A delegation from Thûringen in Germany, headed by the mayor of Erfurt, visited Bergen in May this year in order to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the study placements for Norwegian Electro students in Erfurt. Hordaland County Council has sent students for a school year abroad to Andreas Gordon Schule in Erfurt since 2007. The students from Hordaland have the possibility to choose between three specializations at the Ger-man school: Electrical Power, Computer and Electronics and Automatisation. During these 10 years, all the students from Hordaland have passed their exams in Germany.

The cooperation between the two regions has been good and solid all these years. This is largely due to the fact that the coordinating school, Askøy Upper Secondary School, and their counterparts in Erfurt have established strong and long lasting bonds which has been important in maintaining the continuity of the partnership.

When visiting Bergen the Mayor of Erfurt, Andreas Bausewein and his delegation also took the opportunity to meet both the Acting County Mayor of Hordaland and the Mayor of Bergen. Main topics were international cooperation in general as well

as inclusion and integration of refugees in schools both in Thüringen and in Hordaland and Bergen. Askøy Upper Second-ary School and Andreas Gordon Schule work together with a Danish school in an Erasmus + strategic partnership (KA2) called “A pedagogical and cultural approach to the inclusion of foreign cultures”.


Mayor of Erfurt Andreas Bausewein between Acting County Mayor Pål Kårbø and Director for Education and Training Svein Heggheim during the official dinner at the restaurant Bryggeloftet og Stuene to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the cooperation between Hordaland County Council and the city of Erfurt.

French students at Langhaugen and Nordahl Grieg Upper Secondary Schools

For the third year running Hordaland County Council wel-comed French students from Normandy to attend upper secondary school in Hordaland. Since 2011 students from Hordaland have had the opportunity to study for a year at four different schools in Normandy and in 2015 the partnership agreement opened up for students from Normandy to come to Hordaland as well. The two previous years, the French exchange students have stayed at Voss and attended Voss gymnas. In February this year, five students arrived in Bergen and they spent nine weeks in ordinary classes at Langhaugen and Nordahl Grieg Upper Secondary Schools.

The five students had followed a Norwegian language course in Normandy before arriving in Hordaland and they received extra lessons in Norwegian during their stay in Bergen.

During the winter holidays, the five students spent a week at Voss were they attended ski classes, visited the Mølster mu-

seum and experienced the famous tourist round-trip “Norway in a Nutshell” which allows you to explore the Norwegian fjord landscape by train, ferry and bus.


Students from Normandy visited the Mølster museum during their stay in Hordaland

The German delegation and representatives from Hordaland County Council with the Mayor of Bergen Marte Mjøs Persen.

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2. COOPERATION THROUGH EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

NORTH SEA COMMISSION (NSC)The North Sea Commission Annual Business Meeting was held in conjunction with the North Sea Conference in Göttingen, Lower Saxony at the end of June. The meeting was well attended and there were lively discussions and interesting presentations.

Acting Deputy County Mayor, Roald Kvamme represented Hordaland at the meeting. Hordaland has played an active role in each of the working groups by attending meetings through-out the year. Relevant topics for Hordaland under discussion include Maritime Spatial Planning, maritime skills and clean transport. Hordaland has taken responsibility, along with the region of Møre og Romsdal, to lead on the Transport Group’s work on clean shipping. Here there are clear cross-overs with the work of the Energy and Climate Change Group on several issues and a future co-meeting is planned between the groups. Kvamme will also follow the new group “Smart Regions”. This group plans to work on issues such as circular economy, smart specialisation and digital economy.

An important recurring theme throughout the meeting was the role of Brexit in a future North Sea Region. UK is an important trade partner for all countries around the North Sea and a partner in ongoing work on energy, transport and climate change. As we all know, solutions need to be found on future collaboration, not least in the fi sheries sector, which will prove contentious.


Kerstin Brunnström, President of the North Sea Commission and Geert Bourgeios, Minister-President of Flanders

CONFERENCE OF PERIPHERAL AND MARITIME REGIONS (CPMR)Head of Section for Climate and Natural Resources, Sølve Sondbø, attended the fi rst CPMR task force meeting on cli-mate change. North Sea Commission members were well rep-resented at the meeting, giving a strong base for future North Sea cooperation on the issues of adaptation and mitigation. The task force will map regional initiatives which contribute to delivering climate targets under the Paris agreement.

Hordaland follows the political processes at CPMR closely, including the maritime agenda, transport policy, and energy and climate change issues. CPMR work systematically on the future of cohesion policy post 2020 and have recently issued a response to the EU Commission’s White Paper on the Future of Europe. The link between the NSC work in the newly estab-

lished Brexit task force and ongoing long-term CPMR policy work on Future of Europe will be followed through our political collaboration at the Council for Western Norway. Focus is on the issues which are of particular relevance for the EEA agree-ment. For example, CPMR have recently issued recommenda-tions to EU Commission on the future of Interreg programmes as part of the work on cohesion policy.


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UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES NETWORKIn 2015, Bergen became part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. Bergen is a city of gastronomy. This year Parma invited cities from the UNESCO network to participate at the Gola Gola festival. Seven of the creative cities of gastronomy participated at the festival.

Gola Gola! Food & People Festival in ParmaThe goal of Gola Gola is to promote food culture, to link peo-ple, businesses, skills and different forms of entertainment. The Festival illustrates the role of Parma as the Italian Food Valley Capital. The festival is an annual event, which combines art, music and culture with the best of Italian cuisine in the heart of its Food Valley. There are more than 100 000 visitors at the festival.

Italian students as ambassadors for BergenAll the participating UNESCO cities had their own stall in the UNESCO pavilion. Two Italian students and volunteers at the festival were responsible for the Bergen UNESCO stand. They had studied all about Bergen, the western region and the food culture and traditions. The students were prepared to answer all kinds of questions from an interested and curious audience.

Stockfish - the star of show cookingAll the participating UNESCO cities took part in the show cooking. Pablo Gustavo Zotelo from Colonialen represented Bergen. All through the show, a translator explained the dish in Italian and interviewed the chef. Pablo Gustavo Zotelo presented stockfish cream with grilled summer cabbage, fermented cheese (Gammalost), oat chips and aged lamb (Pinnekjøtt). The dish was praised, the chef compared to a rock star and the chefs organisation in Parma are interested in more cooperation with Bergen. It is fair to say that the show cooking was a great success. The show cooking also had good coverage in national press.

The festival itself was also a great inspiration for the further cooperation in the UNESCO creative cities of gastronomy group.


Italian students informing about the gastronomy in Bergen (photo Ruth Rørvik) Show cooking with Pablo Gustavo Zotelo

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3. PROJECTS

ÉCONOMUSÉE OPENING OF THE CIDER HOUSEThe Cider House was launched as the 12th ÉCONOMUSÉE in Norway on a beautiful spring day. Sixty guests, including representatives from Balestrand municipality and the local society, government offi cials, other Économusée companies and students from an Erasmus proj-ect, attended the opening in the garden.

The couple Eli-Grethe Høyvik and Åge Eitungjerde, their children Gard and Heidrun and daughter-in-law Tuba Ardic run the Cider House. Their story goes all the way back to 1922 when Åge’s grandfather planted the apple orchard. Today they produce different sorts of fi ne cider, from sparkling to fruit brandies, among them the trademark Balholm. Balholm was created as a pioneer product, the fi rst completely natural fruit juice in the Norwegian market. Although the Cider House was completed in 2005, they are constantly developing. Gard and his wife Tuba from Turkey have established a restaurant and they have remarkable success with the food, other activities and international cooperation through Erasmus-projects.

Head of the Economic Development Section in Hordaland County Council, Mette Nora Sætre, held a greeting speech at the launch of the Cider House as the 12th Économusée:

It was Hordaland County Council that fi rst initiated the Écono-musée development in Northern Europe in 2008. Hordaland County Council is very happy for the cooperation we have established with the Royal Society for Development in Nor-way, which has taken over the lead partner responsibility for the 3rd period of the EU NPA Interreg project. A better place than Balestrand for a living apple farm Économusée would be diffi cult to fi nd in Norway. I do think that all of you working here at the Cider House will make the local community proud

and be great ambassadors for the apple and cider traditions of Norway. Your Économusée will strengthen the Économusée network both on the West coast of Norway and internationally in the eight regions working together with the implementation of the Interreg project Craft Reach. I wish you the best of luck with a fantastic Économusée for the future!


The Cider House was launched as the 12th ÉCONOMUSÉE in Norway on a beautiful spring day. From the left; Johannes Sjøtun (Balestrand Municipality), Mette Nora Sætre (Leader of the Economic Development Section in Hordaland County Council) Jon Georg Dale (The Minister of Agriculture and Food), Eli-Grete Høyvvik (Co-owner, The Cider House), Åge Eitungjerde (Co-owner, The Cider House) and Karen Marie Hjelmesæter (Sogn og Fjordane County Council).

Économusée

An Économusée showcases traditional trades andknow-how by promoting the establishment of Économusée.

An Économusée company must fulfi ll the following criteria:• Use of a traditional craft technique (know-how or savoir-faire) in its production• Production of traditional and/or contemporary products with cultural value• Open doors to the public in order to promote its knowhow and its craftsmen• Has a site designed for the animation and interpretation of its production

www.economusee.eu/

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NEW STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Three of the total number of six Norwegian Erasmus + VET Strategic Partnerships (KA2) 2017, were awarded Hordaland County Council this year. One of our schools, Fusa Upper Secondary School, got funding under the Erasmus +School Strategic Partnerships (KA2) 2017, Norway. We are very pleased with this result and more news will certainly come as they get started. In this publication, the partnerships are introduced shortly.

Hordaland County Council: Youths in action for a creative and sustainable gastronomy.

The need for recruitment represent job opportunities. The project aims to address these opportunities and to both en-sure recruitment to important business and at the same time address the problem of youth unemployment. The project will also identify the skills needed to increase performance in the area of gastronomy and tourism and hence enhance youth employability.

Hordaland County Council: Development of sustainable urban centres with active involvement of vocational education and training (Urban Centres)

The objective is to create governance models for active in-volvement and participation of Upper Secondary VET schools/providers and the local businesses in the planning processes and development of urban centres. Furthermore, to develop new VET programmes that are directly linking schoolwork to local challenges and possibilities.

Odda Upper Secondary School: Improvement of the career choice process in technical and scientifically based VET (COCO+)

The objective is to develop a methodology for recruitment of students in primary and secondary school, to be aware and fa-miliar with the professions and needed education in the region they represent.

The main intellectual output will be a Guidance book including the methodology, which will be completed by the collection of partner´s material, knowledge, experience and best practice during the activities in the project.

Fusa Upper Secondary School: Passport to the European Labour Market

Europe needs more skilled, qualified, interested, enthusiastic young people with a sense of entrepreneurship, young people who will be able to succeed in the labour market. The project aims to improve and develop young students´ competences, skills and knowledge to help them, in a practical way. The goal is to better equip them as future employees and perhaps future entrepreneurs.


VET – STAFF MOBILITY

Vocational Education and Training (VET) Staff Mobility

International cooperation is an integrated part of imple-menting and completing the objectives in Hordaland County Council’s strategic plan for internationalisation as well as for sustainable regional development. VET staff mobility, cross-sectorial cooperation, offers regional partner groups possibilities for short time placements (3-5 days) to develop common competences and exchange experiences with Euro-pean partner organisations.

A typical project has partners from upper secondary schools, local authority, business and civil sector. The projects are also often a starting point, or creates a platform, for increased local and regional cross-sectorial cooperation as well as Euro-pean cooperation.

During the spring of 2017, all six cross-sectorial groups with a total of 34 mobilities, visited partner organisations in Italy, UK and Denmark. The topics have been highly relevant, both representing opportunities and challenges within their respec-tive economic fields. We can mention marine and maritime development, seaweed as a resource, enhanced recruitment and better quality in education and training within gastronomy, career guidance and learning, robotics for small-scale textile production of wool and market-orientated fruit production.

They have reported on successful, useful and inspiration-al placements that have created a common wish for more exchange of competences and enhanced cooperation between both the local partners and with the European organisations. Some of the projects are already planning further European cooperation within Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership.

In the 2017 call of proposals, Hordaland County Council was awarded approximately 80 mobilities for Erasmus+ VET Staff (2017-2019) cross-sectorial cooperation. New this year, is that the different regional councils (Regionråd) for economic and local development in Hordaland will coordinate most of these cross-sectorial projects.


Building Career Development Skills

The Centre for Vocational Guidance in Hordaland was given the opportunity to exchange new educational methods with VIA University College through a mobility stay in Aarhus, Denmark. The mobility visit was made possible through an Erasmus + mobility grant, awarded through Hordaland County Council. A group of seven participants, coordinated by the Centre for Vocational Guidance in Hordaland, went to Den-mark from the 21st to the 24th of May 2017. The group had participants from Laksevåg Upper Secondary School,

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Lindås municipality, Holen School in Bergen municipality, Nor-dhordland Næringslag and Finnmark County Council.

The group visited VIA University College, which developed the Danish multidisciplinary project “Udsyn” about awareness and prevention of early school leaving, as well as other educational institutions who participated in it.

The group gained valuable insight into how the project was im-plemented in Denmark, and what knowledge and experience the different educational institutions had gained from their focus on students who are graduating, or who are in danger of failing to graduate.

As part of the program in Denmark, The Centre for Vocation-al Guidance and Holen Upper Secondary School in Bergen presented and shared the new educational methods they have

developed together. The methodology has been written about before in connection with their presentation at the IAEVG congress last November (International Newsletter 02-16, page 22).

The mobility visit was a joint visit together with Nord- og Sør Trøndelag County Council and Trondheim municipality, and their Erasmus + mobility.

The visit will be followed up by an application for a larger partnership project with several partners in Norway, Denmark and hopefully Sweden and Finland. Furthermore, The Centre for Vocational Guidance has now started to implement the teaching methodology in Norway, specifi cally tied to the sub-ject "education choice".


Visiting Ungdommen Uddannelsesvejledning senter i Silkeborg (UU senteret) from the left: Kjell Helge Kleppestø, Randi Boelskifte Skovhus, Steinar Bonesmo, Trond Lygre, Bo Klindt Poulsen, Kjersti Kvaløy, Susanne Lupton, Reinhardt Jåstad Røyset, Dina Merete Kallestad Dyrhovden, Cecilie Øvstedal, Randi Nordgaard Hermstad, Vivian Kårbø, Lisbeth Pedersen, Tore Muren og Randi Kristin Svara.

ERASMUS+ and Hordaland County Council

What?Erasmus+ is the EU programme foreducation, training, youth and sport.The Erasmus+ programme aimsto boost skills and employability,as well as modernising Education,Training, and Youth work. Erasmus+website: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/index_en.htm

Why?Erasmus+ will provide opportuni-tiesfor over 4 millionEuropeans to study, train, gainwork experience and volunteerabroad. It refl ects thepriorities of the Europe 2020strategy: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm

How?Hordaland County Council applies for fi nan-cial support every year in order to provide for:– Training placements for students and apprentices within Vocational Education and Training (Erasmus+ VET Learners’ Mobility)– Staff in charge of Vocational Education and Training (Erasmus+ VET Staff Mobility)– Youth and youth workers (Erasmus+: Youth in Action)

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Textile in a new era

In April 2017, a project group with participants from Hordaland visited partner organisations in The Shetland Islands. The objective was to create a common network for coherent edu-cation and business opportunities within the wool and textile field. Project manager Gunn-Helen Johnsen had gathered in total seven representatives from NGO’s, businesses and Upper Secondary School to join the project. A pilot mobility to the Shetland Islands in 2015 to learn more about wool and textile production, business opportunities and wool and textile educa-tion, had laid a good foundation for the project. Both projects were funded through Erasmus+ VET Mobility in Hordaland County Council.

The group visited many different businesses and organisations while on the beautiful Shetland Islands. Like Shetland Textile Museum, Shetland Handspun, Jamieson & Smith and Jamie-son’s of Shetland.

Discussions revealed different problem areas that were even more apparent now than in 2015. There is a lack of compre-hensive competence in the wool and textile industry. The field has become more fragmented and reveals a great need for cooperation and networking to avoid losing the expertise that exists in this area in both Norway and Shetland. Through cuts in the textile education, some subjects are now lacking. Garry Jamieson, co-owner of Jamieson’s of Shetland says, “There is no use for a five-year education in textiles if it does not offer programming for knitting machines”.

As a result of the mobilities Johnsen and some of the partic-ipants have established a new wool cooperation in Osterøy municipality working on the possibilities and premises for weaving (Ullsamvirket), which eventually will be open to other interested parties as well. They will consider the possibility of using CNC and robotics machinery in small-scale production of textiles (wool) as a new business opportunity in Osterøy.

In June this year, Shetland Handspun held a hand-spinning course in Osterøy museum. Martha Kløve Hjul contributed with a weaving course and Monica Davanger showed how you use plants to colour yarn. The partners in both regions are also planning a future cooperation through an Erasmus+ strategic partnership with University of Highland and Islands as an interested partner.


Fruitful study trip to South Tyrol - Learning from the best

In Europe, South Tyrol reigns on the apple throne. No other region is close when it comes to producing quality apples. Consumers all over the world appreciate apples labelled with South Tyrol’s characteristic brand.

In Hordaland, the Hardanger region is famous for apples and apple products. Despite the fame, Hardanger is constantly working to improve. Representatives from the fruit industry in Hardanger have initiated a project to investigate the possibil-ities for a united Hardanger fruit brand – “Merkevare Hardan-gerfrukt”.

In March 2017, a delegation consisting of Magnar Velure (chair of the board at Hardanger fjordfrukt and fruit grower) Sjur Ove Svartveit (project manager and fruit grower), Samson Hamre (inspector at Voss upper secondary school and fruit grower) and Heidi Bjønnes Larsen (special advisor from Hordaland County Council) travelled to South Tyrol. The mobility visit was made possible through an Erasmus + staff mobility grant, awarded through Hordaland County Council.

The land of Spaghetti and KnödelSouth Tyrol is located in the north of Italy and have 512000 inhabitants. The main languages are German and Italian. In addition there is a third language Ladin, which is spoken by

The participants at the Shetland Textile Museum.

Weaving with coloured wool. Photographer: Kristin Ledsaak

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approximately 30 000 people. Its inhabitants, due to the coex-istence of German and Italian culture and language, jokingly refer to South Tyrol as the region of Spaghetti and Knödel. There are around 6000 fruit growers in the region and about 50 percent of these are part time growers and work in indus-try or tourism in addition to the farm.

Market focus The aim of the study trip was to learn more about branding, market focus and consumer preferences. During the days in South Tyrol, the group visited Laimburg research centre for agriculture and forestry, IDM South Tyrol, Beireitungsring, VIP and Mivor. Professor Walter Guerra at Laimburg, researches the breeding of new varieties. His perspective is on not only current consumers but also the consumers of tomorrow. He also stressed the importance of market knowledge for the fruit growers. Lack of knowledge of the market can alienate the growers from the market.

South Tyrol has a carefully developed system for quality con-trol. The different qualities are adapted to the different mar-kets. South Tyrol is the dominating actor in the apple business in Western Europe. However, in other regions such as Russia the production of apples are increasing. The future for South Tyrol is not to increase productivity. The future is in sustain-ing or increasing the price. In order to do so it is important to fi nd new varieties which cannot grow other places. Ecological production gives smaller crops but higher prices. In the 2016 season, the winners were ecological and club varieties.

“Merkevare Hardangerfrukt” aims to secure the future of the fruit industry in Hardanger by increasing the production of quality fruit, ensure growing on all suitable acreage and inspire youth to enter the fruit industry. The study trip to South Tyrol contributed to reach these goals.


View of the apple fi elds around Terlano

4. YOUTH AND INTERNATIONALISATIONSCHOOL PROJECTSInternational activities at upper secondary schools in Hordaland – A survey

Every other year the Department of Education and Training conducts a survey among the upper secondary schools in the county. The survey aims to get an overview of the level of international cooperation in the schools. This includes the types of international activities the schools participate in, the motivation behind and effects of such activities as well as any challenges encountered.

The 2016 survey shows that 97, 5 percent of the schools in Hordaland have participated in one or several international activities. The level of international activity has been high, with an average of 90% of the schools participating, throughout the ten years the survey has been conducted. The survey also shows that there is some sort of international activity in every educational programme that we offer.

The most popular type of activity by far is participation in the Erasmus+ VET Mobility programme for learners. Following that comes student trips/study trips, mainly for students in the general study programmes. Other activities and programmes include a year abroad (“Hordaland classes”), EEA-grants, Nordplus, various aid projects and international days at school. The EU programmes have always been popular among the VET institutions, but in recent years we have seen a steady increase in the use of the Erasmus+ programme and more schools seem to utilise the opportunities it provides in the form of funding and the variety of possibilities offered. This has also resulted in more schools participating in teacher mobilities, receiving participants from abroad and strategic partnerships. The increased participation in the Erasmus+ programme is encouraged as it represents long-term relations and stable cooperating partners as well as providing funding for these types of activities which would otherwise not be possible.

Our schools report cooperation in 31 countries in Europe, and 12 countries in the rest of the world. The top four countries for cooperation are Germany, Spain, France and the United

Sorting of apples at Mivor

14


Kingdom. The schools also have a number of projects with organisations in our partner regions, with 15 different projects in Normandy, Cardiff and Thüringen.

When it comes to the motivation for participating in interna-tional activities, the schools rate international experience, in-tercultural competences and improving language skills as the key motivational factors. Among the challenges encountered, “time and money” are the top two factors mentioned.

When answering questions about the results and impacts par-ticipation in international activities has, the schools emphasise the effect on the individual participant but also the effect and impact it has on the school as an organisation. Participation in international activities gives both students and teachers increased language and communication skills, it provides increased understanding of cultures and promotes tolerance and an opportunity to expand their professional knowledge. Furthermore, the schools report that participating in interna-tional activities contributes to more involvement and cooper-ation at the school, encourages interdisciplinary cooperation and that it has a positive effect on the learning environment.


Visit from Erasmus students

Austrheim Upper Secondary School received fi ve German students from the University of Bergen for a study visit on March 15, 2017. The pupils guided the students around the school and they were part of some lessons so they could get an insight into Norwegian teaching methods. In addition to

“speed-dating” in German, some of the pupils also held presentations about local businesses and resources, such as the Statoil facility and fi sh breeding.

Clara Debus, an Erasmus student from Germany, thought the visit was a success. “It was incredibly impressive to start the day with a group of fi rst year students who talked in German almost all the time. For us it was very interesting to get to know how schools in Norway can be like and we also got to practice some Norwegian that the students loved to teach us in turn. All in all, the visit was highly successful, we felt really welcome and if an opportunity like this should present itself again in the future, I will defi nitely join again“.

Some of the pupils also accompanied the students to the small island of Fedje after school to see the beautiful view of the Norwegian coastline. The day was fi nished off with bowl-ing and pizza.

For most of the pupils it was the fi rst time they spoke German with Germans. Although a little scary at fi rst, it helped that the students also spoke a little Norwegian. This fi rst visit has been followed by several more study-visits, including students from Austria, Italy, Spain and more German students throughout spring and up until the summer vacation. Overall, the school has received 19 students, some of them even twice.

The pupils want to invite Erasmus students again. Some of the aspects that they mentioned was that they enjoyed using the language, they learned about other cultures, and that they had the opportunity to learn some Italian in a mini-course.


Jobshadowing at Odda Upper Secondary School

At the end of May, fi ve teachers from Hungary visited Odda Upper Secondary School for fi ve days with the purpose of shadowing teachers in their daily work and get to know the Norwegian educational system.

The study-visit was made possible through funds from the Erasmus + programme.

Geir Rønningen and the administration at Odda Upper Sec-ondary School welcomed them. The teachers, from Szeged Centre for Vocational Education and Training as well as Móravárosi Special and General Secondary School, were par-ticularly interested in applied teaching methods and how we work to prevent early school leaving. We also focused on how we facilitate learning for pupils with different challenges.

Pupils and students enjoyed visiting Fedje.

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While they were there, the school also carried out other activities such as a day about traffic and road safety and they enjoyed a visit from Hardanger Music Festival.

Geir Rønningen, Department Manager at Odda Upper Sec-ondary School, thinks it is important to foster international contacts and networks to be aware of positive international trends and learn from each other.


VET – LEARNERS AND TEACHERS MOBILITY

Vocational Education and Training (VET) Learners Mobility

International cooperation is an integrated part of education and training and part of Hordaland County Council’s strategic plans for internationalisation. International competences offer VET learners the opportunity to develop their ability to participate actively in an increasing multicultural society and global world.

Thanks to funding by the Erasmus+ programme, Hordaland County Council has had the opportunity to send 110 VET students and apprentices on various mobility projects all over Europe this spring. The programme also provides opportuni-ties to give VET teachers international experience and com-petence, and this spring we have had 13 teachers on various mobility projects.

The VET students have had work placements lasting from 2 to 4 weeks, and they represent a wide range of disciplines, such as healthcare, electronics, restaurant and food processing,

tourism and technical and industrial production. The 5 appren-tices who participated have had various work placements in three different European countries lasting from 5 weeks and up to three months. They represent disciplines such as chefs, receptionists and healthcare workers.

All the participants have learned more about their trade, and have become familiar with new or different working methods and equipment. They have also had to adjust to sometimes completely different working environments, as well as a new culture and language. Many of them have limited or no prior knowledge of the language in the host country, but during their placement they have become more confident in their ability to communicate in a different language. Common feedback from the participants is that this has been an amazing opportunity for them and that they recommend it to others.

In the 2017 call of proposals, Hordaland County Council has been awarded with approximately 120 mobilities for VET learners and teachers.


The teachers from Hungary are shown the school smithy by Department Manager Geir Rønningen and teacher/blacksmith Michal Wunderlich. From the left: Tibor Berki, Rita Szabó, Geir T. Rønningen and Michal Wunderlich. Photographer: Andras Weiner.

The Police, the Ambulance Service and the Fire Department demonstrate different situations that can arise on the road. Among other things, the pupils got to try how it feels like to sit in a car that tips over. Photographer: Andras Weiner.

The blacksmith at work - Photographer: Andras Weiner

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Apprentice at Geist and Geranium

Simon Nilsen has been interested in cooking since he made his first dinner dish as a twelve year old. This spring he spent 3 months as an apprentice chef in the restaurants Geist and Ge-ranium in Copenhagen. The apprenticeship was made possible through the Erasmus+ VET Mobility Programme.

Christer Økland, the Head Chef at Restaurant 1877 where Si-mon works in Bergen, told him about the possibilities through Erasmus+.

- Then we learned more about it when the Training Office in the field of hotel and restaurant business, came to give us some more information about the programme.

Simon had many reasons for wishing to do parts of his appren-ticeship in Copenhagen.

- I wanted to improve my culinary skills and get more experi-ence and knowledge about Nordic cuisine. Also, as a chef it is important to develop a network.

He chose the restaurant Geist since he wanted to learn more about simply presented great food, and how an efficient kitchen, which serves hundreds of meals every day, function. Geranium appealed to Simon as it was the first restaurant in Denmark to receive three Michelin stars.

- The Head Chef at Geranium, Rasmus Kofoed, is brilliant. He has won bronze, silver and gold in Bocuse d’Or. I stood ner-vously next to him as we waited to find out that Geranium now is number 19 on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

As suspected, working in a top restaurant is no picnic. Some days Simon worked from eight in the morning until around midnight. One of the courses at Geranium had 22 different herbs, so he spent quite some time picking and cleaning herbs. The last week he was there, he was allowed to be part of the service staff, which cooks in the middle of the actual restau-rant.

He cannot immediately think of something negative when asked about what was the worst and best about his time as an apprentice chef in Copenhagen.

- I had a good time, and both Geist and Geranium are great restaurants. I learned a lot. The techniques were similar to what I have already learned, but the different compositions were interesting to see. The best thing about my stay was broadening my culinary network and making new friends.

Simon would absolutely recommend others to do the same, but only if you have the stamina to work long hours and can handle the occasional knockback.

The plan now is to finish his trade certificate. He would also like to spend some more time at the restaurant Maaemo where he also has had an internship earlier. The ultimate goal is to open his own restaurant one day. Simon has already started a pop-up restaurant, NOMNK, in collaboration with Restaurant 1877, where the focus is on traditional Norwegian food prepared in a modern way.

Written by: [email protected] Contact: [email protected]

Pupils from Bergen Maritime in Cartagena

Bergen Maritime Upper Secondary School has for several years worked with the school CIFP Hesperides in Cartagena, Spain on the exchange of pupils. The school offers education in electrical and electronics, information and communication technology, refrigeration technology, maritime subjects and skin care and hairdressing. The cooperation has been achieved through the Erasmus + program.

In recent years, we have sent pupils who are studying VG2 Maritime subjects to Cartagena. Cartagena is one of Spain's most important port towns, for merchants, cruise tourism and the Navy. This year, two pupils at Maritime Studies received the opportunity to travel on Erasmus + grants, and to carry out work practice for two weeks in February 2017.

This year Bergen Maritime had five applicants for three scholarships, and eventually ended up with two candidates who wanted to travel. Andrine Justad (sailor) and Tim Hilleren Lokøen (engineer) had their work practice aboard Clara Campoamor, a multipurpose vessel used for various types of rescue work. The ship is owned by Salvamento Maritimo and the Spanish authorities, and is based in the port of Cartagena.

Another fellow apprentice from Asia shows the prep work of 22 different herbs for the halibut course at Geranium. Photographer: Simon Nilsen.

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The pupils were well received by the crew and received a lot of praise for their good work efforts. The crew was pleasantly surprised by the initiative and work pace Tim and Andrine showed throughout their stay.

The students was for the first days followed up by the local maritime teacher Rudy Suarez and their international contact at Bergen Maritime, Marie Høyvik. Furthermore, maritime teacher Raquel Carillo and the two students who have applied for an Erasmus + scholarship to visit Bergen next school year followed up Tim and Andrine.

In addition to valuable work experience, Tim and Andrine are left with a number of impressions that they will never forget. The long lunches with good food, diving, the social unity, and not least the people they have gotten to know. Both agree that it was two challenging weeks, especially in terms of language challenges, but they do not regret for a second that they took this opportunity. The school thinks Tim and Andrine have been good ambassadors for Bergen Maritime and Hordaland County Council.


Andrine Justad and Tim Hilleren Lokøen’s experiences in Cartagena. Photographers: Staff at Salvamento Maritimo.


STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Let’s Meet Together

The project, Let’s Meet Together, is divided into six meetings in six different countries in Europe, were each meeting signals the start of a new work topic for the next meeting. The project lasts for 36-months and will be completed in June 2018. This makes it possible for the participants to work thoroughly on each topic. The participants, who are high school students from six different countries in Europe, come from Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Spain and Norway. The participants meet virtually or face to face for the planning of the topic and activities for each cycle.

The first topic focused on the region of the participating students, whilst the other topics are cuisine, music, tradi-tional dancing, sport activities and lastly history, through the exploration of historical sites. These simple topics allows the participants to analyse, discuss, teach and learn about their own culture and the culture of the other participants. The students have learned a lot about the rich and vibrant cultural diversity that exists in Europe.

In October, there will be a meeting in Turkey, and the last meeting will be held in Spain next spring.

The students have a very active role in the project and they take part in the decision-making process at all levels of the project implementation. The students prepare the smaller projects, slideshows, plays and dance performances, films, albums, glossaries, lessons, videoconferences and write planning e-mails. In the process, they gain valuable experi-ences in using English and working with people from different countries.

International coordinator at Amalie Skram Upper Secondary School, Maria José Sánchez Olsen, tells us about the feed-back from the pupils: “After these meetings the pupils always comment that they have learned more about their own culture at the same time as they got to know another culture”. The project also have a strong influence on the teachers who gain new knowledge about the different topics and valuable insight into other cultures.


The sound project «The city rings» - Students make suggestions to the City Council on how to reduce noise levels in Bergen.

Students from Laksevåg Upper Secondary School gave repre-sentatives from the City Council of Environmental Affairs and Urban Development a charter on how noise levels in the city can be reduced. The charter was created by students from six different European countries (Norway, Finland, Belgium, France, Italy and Turkey), and given to the city councils in the home cities of each participating country. Laksevåg Upper Secondary School was in charge of the project, supported by the European Union with 17 000 euros. The project has been going on for two years, and it officially ended on May 12 with the students formally handing over of their report of recom-mendations to the Bergen City Council.

The representative for the City Council, Anna Elisa Tryti, re-ceiving the charter, was very positive towards the initiative.

- We want to get the traffic and noise away from the city cen-ter and make the city more peaceful. 20 years ago, there was a lot more noise at Torget and Bryggen than today, but we will do more. We will take this with us in the future planning of the city, says Anna Elisa Tryti.

The charter produced by the students had eight recommen-dations: 1. Get more people to use public transportation through cheaper tickets, easier access and more frequent departures 2. Reduce the speed limits on the roads 3. Reduce the sound waves coming from buildings in the city center by using more sound friendly materials to build buildings 4. Isolate private and public houses with thicker glass 5. Set the conditions right for more bicycling and walking in the city 6. Build more parks and allow for more vegetation in the city7. Build noise absorbers in public spaces and buildings8. Teach people living in the city about the negative conse quences loud noise has on people’s well-being.


Erasmus + meeting «Let’s Meet Together» about Sports 8th to the 14th of May. The project group consists of representatives from partner schools in Hungary, Spain, Lithuania, Turkey and Amalie Skram Upper Secondary School. Here they are at the climbing park, Høyt & Lavt, in Bergen.

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ERASMUS+ YOUTH IN ACTION

The Spring of EVS

There has been much activity within Hordaland County Coun-cils work with European Voluntary Service (EVS) in 2017. This spring was the first time Hordaland County Council was part of a Group-EVS. We cooperated with the Bloom Foundation in the Netherlands to send seven young volunteers together with two companions from Bergen Red Cross.

They spent two weeks at the project “Sail into your future”, which is located on a small island named Robinson Crusoe, surrounded by a lake in the middle of the Netherlands. Their task was to get the island ready for the summer season. Their work included painting, carpentry, cleaning and cooking.

Hordaland County Council would like to continue working with Short-term Group-EVS.

This spring 11 other young volunteers have participated in a short-term EVS with a duration between 1-2 months. As a sending organisation, Hordaland County Council is responsible for finding volunteer-placements and follow up the volunteers.

The volunteers have been in Latvia, Slovenia, France, Portugal and the Netherlands. In this edition, we will learn more about the volunteer Bsrat Fremicael Zerehawariat, who spent her time in France.


Erasmus+: Youth in Action

What?Volunteers participate in EVS through a Sending Organ-isation in the country where they live and a Receiving organisation that receives and hosts them during their period of service. The volunteer receives free accommo-dation, food, insurance and pocket money, and most of the travel costs.

Who?Young people 17-30 years

How long?1-12 months

Why?EVS boosts employability in Europe. As a volunteer, you can work in a wide range of fields, such as culture, youth, sports, children, arts, animal welfare and environ-ment. At the end of the EVS period, the young volunteer will receive a certificate called Youthpass.


ERASMUS+ & PREVENTION OF EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING

“Fighting rising levels of unemployment – particularly among young people – has become one of the most urgent tasks for European governments. Too many young people leave school prematurely running a high risk of being unemployed and socially marginalised.”

From: Erasmus+ programme guide - part A

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European Voluntary Service in France

The day after Easter, Bsrat Fremicael Zerehawariat travelled to Paris and further on to the small village of Saâcy-sur-Marne, on the outskirts of Paris. She spent two months as a volunteer in the organisation Vir’volt which is part of Solidar-ités Jeunesses.

Bsrat is an open minded and social 23-year-old girl. According to her project administrator, she became well integrated into the project and the group of volunteers. After just a week, it felt like she had always been there.

How did you get to know about European Voluntary Service (EVS)?

My adviser in the Outreach-Services in Bergen told me that Hordaland County Council is an EVS sending organisation, and that through EVS it is possible to be a volunteer in another European country.

Why did you wish to become a volunteer?

I needed to go away and do something else. I love the French language. Also, I am not unfamiliar with volunteering. I have been a volunteer before in Bergen. I volunteered as an assis-tant, teaching Norwegian to people who were new in Norway, mostly women. I wanted a new and exciting adventure.

Flower field - Photographer: Bsrat Fremicael Zerehawariat

Why did you choose France and the project Vir’volt?

Because I already knew some French from high school. I love Belgium, and France was the closest project available when I wanted to travel abroad. Now I love France too!

Could you tell me a bit about your life as a volunteer in France? How was a typical week?

We did everything from housework to building different things. We built chairs and tables for The Loft while I was there. The Loft is a hangout place for movie-nights and socialising. We also had a kitchen garden where we planted tomatoes and herbs.

Not far from us, there was a sort of orphanage. Some of the children lived there and some were only there part-time. We spent quite a bit of time there. Sometimes we played football, and hide and seek. We also learnt the game “le chat” (the cat) which is similar to “the shark” here in Norway. The kids had so much energy and joy! It was fun to spend time with them. One evening they invited all the volunteers to a big dinner-party with the kids and the employees. We also built doors for their chicken coop together with the kids. They would just speak a lot of French to us even though we did not understand every-thing, but we learned.

As volunteers, we really felt like we were a resource in the local community. We gave people opportunities. One of the things we were involved in was a big workshop festival where people could learn to do different practical things. We had two days free every week. One weekend I went into Paris to look at street-art. I found that very interesting.

Where were the other volunteers from?

All over! Germany, Russia, Peru, Lithuania, Estonia and a really cool guy from India. Everyone was so sad when he had to go home, because he was such a funny person, always joking around.

View from the house - Photographer: Bsrat Fremicael Zerehawariat

What was the biggest cultural shock or surprise?

That it was so international. No one cared about the colour of your skin or your ethnical background. I felt at home and very welcome. For me it was a positive shock. The people were so open-minded. It was different from Norway, where people are mostly with other people from the same country and back-ground.

Have you learned any French?

Oui! Or yes, I have a better understanding for it. French is also easier to read than to speak.

EVS volunteer Bsrat Fremicael Zerehawariat.

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What do you think was the best and the worst about your stay?

The weather. It was so sunny! Also, I like the French tradition of eating a lot of bread and cheese with a glass of wine. We also had a one-hour lunchbreak, with hot lunch, every day. The people were so helpful and amazing. The only thing that was negative was that my stay was too short. I wish I were there for a longer time.

Would you recommend others to become a volunteer, and if so, why?

Yes! It is a great opportunity to meet other people. In addi-tion, it is a good way to find out who you are as a person. If you always do the same, you get stuck and you do not learn

as much about yourself, you lose the motivation that could have driven you to do something more or something entirely different. Being at Vir’volt I felt empowered to do what I really wanted to do.

Have your plans for the future changed after volunteering? Do you know what you want to do next?

I want to work in France. In August, I will go back to Vir’volt and be a volunteer in the French Civil Service program for nine months. Hordaland County Council will be my sending organi-sation in this project as well. I fell in love with France. Belgium and France now share first place of my favourite countries.


The ship “Hardangerjakta Mathilde”. Photographer: Harald Thorseth.

Voluntary Service at Hardanger Maritime Museum

In cooperation with Hordaland County Council, Hardanger Maritime museum implemented an arrangement in 2010 so that they could receive European volunteers through the European Voluntary Service (EVS), which falls under the broader category Erasmus+.

The volunteers spend their time at “Hardangerjakta Mathilde”, an old trading ship that was built in 1884, which today serves as a museum and summer camp for young people interested in maritime culture. The ship is owned by the museum.

Karina from Germany is the tenth volunteer since 2010 to be part of the crew of the old sailing ship. The volunteers usually come before the sailing season begins, so that they can be part of the rigging and preparation of the ship. From Easter to October, the ship is at sea. Karina and other EVS-volunteers receive a basic stipend for travel expenses, food, accommoda-tion and pocket money.

The EU-funding does not cover all the expenses of the volun-teer, but is a substantial contribution. It makes it possible for the museum to offer an interesting internship. At the same time the volunteer can contribute to the museum as personnel and share their perspective from another cultural background.


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5. THE WEST NORWAY OFFICE IN BRUSSELS

The West Norway Office (WNO) has continued its efforts to strengthen the ties between its members and European actors in Brussels in the spring of 2017. By providing its mem-

bers with information services, promoting and facilitating regional cooperation between European stakeholders and increasing the knowledge on Norway-EU relations, WNO continues to function as a liaison between West Norway and regional actors in the EU.

In February, Hordaland County Council was invited to partici-pate with a speaker at the East of England European Partner-ship’s workshop «How will Brexit impact regional policy in the UK and the EU post 2020? ». Senior adviser Kate Clarke from the Department for Regional Development presented expe-riences from Hordaland within international cooperation as a region in a non-EU country presenting how the county delivers regional development in general.

Hordaland County Council has emphasised the international dimension in their work on the future skills need in the region. This has led to an active collaboration between the county and the WNO, and the joint organisation of a conference in Bergen focusing on the skills need and the future work force.

WNO also welcomed representatives from the management of the Department for Regional Development in Brussels in June. During two days, they attended meetings with relevant European and Norwegian actors in Brussels, as well as having fruitful discussions with WNO on future international activities.

WNO is now preparing for the European Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels in October. Together with European partner offices, WNO is a part of the consortium «Smart partnerships for resilient local communities». Our workshop will focus on energy the implementation of transport and telecommunica-tions solutions to reinforce the resilience of smart communi-ties, as well as exploring the latest innovations in open and big data in government services.


West Norway office

The West Norway Office (WNO) works to liaisebetween its members in West Norway and Europeanactors in Brussels.The main tasks of the office are:• to provide its members with information services,• to promote the region and its members as cooperation partners for European projects, and• to increase the knowledge on EU-Norway relations in the region.Members: in addition to Hordaland County Council,nine municipalities in Hordaland as well as the energycompany BKK are members of the WNO.

Internet: http://www.west-norway.no/ west-norwayoffice-in-brussels/sels/

Second from the left: Merete Mikkelsen (Director West Norway Office in Brussels) with visitors from Hordaland. From the left: Yngve Foss (The Research Council of Norway), Bård Sandal (Director of Regional Development HCC), Kathrin Jakobsen (Head of Research, Internationalisation and Analysis), Richard Taule (Bergen Municipality), Ragnhild Solvi Berg (SIU), Kate Clarke (International Senior Advisor), Mathias Aguirre Havgar (Innovation Norway).

Representatives from Hordaland in front of the European Parliament. From the left: Richard Taule (Bergen Municipality), from Hordaland County Council: Kathrin Jakobsen (Head of Research, Internationalisation and Analysis), Kate Clarke (International Senior Advisor), Bård Sandal (Director of Regional Development).

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6. OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES

CONFERENCE IN HOUSTONThe 1st of May Acting County Mayor Pål Kårbø and the Director for Regional Development in Horda-land County Council Bård Sandal, travelled to Houston, Texas. They

were part of a delegation from Norway consisting of about 200 people, representing both the public and the business sector. The purpose of the visit was to participate at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC).

The OTC is a conference and exhibition focused on the devel-opment of offshore energy resources, primarily oil and natural gas. It started in 1969 and is held annually during the first week of May in Houston, Texas, USA.

Visiting Statoil headquarters for North and Central America. From the left: Pål Kårbø (Acting County Mayor, Hordaland), Marte Mjøs Persen (Mayor, Bergen Municipality) and Torgrim Reitan (Executive Vice President, Development & Production USA).

Bård Sandal, Director for Regional Development, shares why he thinks it is important to be part of the OTC.

- The oil and gas industry in the western region and Hordaland County has since 2015 had a downturn. This industry plays a vital part when it comes to employment and economic activity in the region. This downturn has caused major challenges for the companies, and there is a need for restructuring in the industry.

Meetings with political leadership in Rogaland County Council and mayors from the municipality of Bergen and other munici-palities of Western Norway, who participated in the delegation, were also part of the program.

Bård Sandal believes the most important reason for attending the OTC is to get a better understanding of challenges and possibilities facing the oil and gas industry.

- Developing a common, long-term policy that provides a good framework and better conditions for the industry is essential.

Written by: [email protected]: [email protected]

STUDY TRIP TO SINGAPORE & VIETNAMAt the end of March Inunet arranged a study trip for 17 par-ticipants to Singapore and Vietnam. Inunet was established in 2008 and is funded by Hordaland County Council, Innovation Norway and the members of Inunet.

The objective is to increase cooperation between the different innovative environments in Hordaland County through sharing of each other’s practices and competences. The purpose of the trip to Singapore and Vietnam was to get insight into a market we most likely will have to relate to in the future.

Hilde Indresøvde, leader of the innovation team at Bergento and project manager in Inunet, tells us about their hectic days getting through the comprehensive program.

- We visited many different entrepreneurs, investors, edu-cational institutions and participated in many roundtable discussions. One evening we had dinner with the Norwegian ambassador in Singapore.

Indresøvde thinks it is interesting how Singapore focuses on in-novation and entrepreneurship on a holistic level and in a very systematic manner.

- Inunet connected with many actors who can help companies from our region in the markets in Southeast Asia. Several fol-low-up points were agreed upon and three organisations have already been on a visit to Bergen.

The delegation at the National Research Foundation in Singapore. Photographer: Per Arve Frøyen (Innovation Norway).

Part of the group continued their journey to Vietnam, which became a contrast to their visit so far.

- In Vietnam, the field of innovation is more undeveloped, but that is rather interesting, as the potential is so much bigger. The very young and highly competent population impressed us immensely, comments Indresøvde.

The visit strengthened their already working-theory that coop-eration and a strategic approach is the key to further develop-ment of the innovative field. The study-trip has led to concrete regional cooperation on both the regional and international level.


Hordaland County Council is responsible for developing Hordaland society.We provide upper secondary education, dental health services and publictransport for our citizens. We develop the road system and facilitate growth,economic development and cultural activities. The Council is the county’spolitical decision-making body. As part of national and global society we areresponsible for taking care of the past, the present and the future in Hordaland.

Agnes Mowinckels gt 5Postboks 7900N-5020 BERGENNORWAYTel: +47 55 23 90 00www.hordaland.no

Documents

International Newsletter 01/17 · including the development of the road system. Hordaland County Council is involved in many international projects and activities. Our region has