In 2023, the LifeLong Learning team in Dublin South City Partnership secured accreditation with Erasmus+, as a Community Adult Education provider. This results in funding each year to promote learning opportunities for the various teams of people we work with.

Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe.
The programme places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life.
It supports priorities and activities set out in the European Education Area, Digital Education Action Plan and the European Skills Agenda. The programme also supports the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Having accreditation is providing us with the opportunity to widen our horizons, as learners and practitioners in adult education; to see how other countries and organisations work and what they do; and to share our experience both away and when we come back.

Two members of our team recently took part in the five-day Leadership and Management in Educational Establishments training course in Barcelona, Spain. The course brought together education professionals from several European countries including Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Cyprus and Malta, providing a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss different approaches to educational leadership and build new international connections.

Throughout the program, participants explored a range of leadership and management topics, including organizational vision and mission, strategic planning, goal setting, communication, teamwork, motivation or change leadership and management. The course also revisited a number of well-established leadership theories and management models that continue to inform practice in educational settings.

Alongside the formal training sessions, the international nature of the course encouraged the sharing of ideas, challenges and examples of good practice from different educational systems and organizations across Europe. Participating in international professional development is an important part of our commitment to our continuous learning and improvement. The knowledge gained, together with the opportunity to network with colleagues from across Europe, will help inform our future work and support the ongoing development of our services for the communities we work with.