Hvordan kan du bruke Erasmus+ opplæringsstipend - Ansatt

How to use the Erasmus+ staff mobility grant for training purposes

How to use the Erasmus+ staff mobility grant for training purposes

We have collected some good examples of how you can use the Erasmus+ mobility grant for training purposes.
  • Improved Spanish language skills

    Birgitte Glestad, adviser, and Marte Neverdal, senior adviser at the Department of Education, Section for Admissions and Assessment, took a language course at Academia Cile in Malaga in the spring of 2023.

    ​​​​​​​How did you use the staff mobility grant for training purposes?

    We used the training grant to take a Spanish course in Malaga. To get the most out of the language stay, we chose to live with a host family, which was organised by the language school. Living with a host family made the stay even more interesting and educational since we communicated a lot in Spanish outside of class hours.

    What did you learn?

    Prior to the course, we had to take a language test and were placed in a class according to our level. The language instruction was intensive and took place in small groups, which meant that we had a lot of practice and guidance. Even though we were only there for a short week, it was a rich experience. In addition to learning a lot about the language, we also got to know Malaga and some of the surrounding areas. It was also very nice to go together with a good colleague.

    What did you bring back to OsloMet?

    We were inspired to keep our language skills even more up to date, and we both felt like we got a "boost" both linguistically and interculturally. We both work with admissions to higher education and evaluate documentation from all over the world, including Spanish-speaking countries, and hope to continue using our language skills in our work. We are glad that we took advantage of the opportunity to go on a language course through Erasmus+.

  • New textile printer, professional development, and international cooperation

    Wenche Lyche, Associate Professor at the Department of Product Design (TKD), visited the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Swansea College of Art in the spring of 2017.  

    How did you use the staff mobility grant for training purposes?  

    My motivation for going to Swansea was to be able to learn more about patterning on surfaces. I wanted to learn more about how to work with patterns on textile, wood, metal, and ceramics. I also hoped that this would increase the focus on textile in the study programme.  

    What did you learn?  

    I learned about textile printing, laser engraving and cutting, sandblasting on textile, glass, leather and tile. I also got to try 3D printing.   

    During my stay, I have gained a broader understanding of patterns and surfaces, and the relevance of this. I am more confident now in my role as a lecturer for the students, and I got many ideas for interdisciplinary collaboration at the faculty, and for further international cooperation. 

    I now see the possibilities of the machine park, and I have also improved my English skills. 

    What did you bring back to OsloMet?  

    Back home, I gave lectures for my colleagues at the Department of Product Design about everything I had learned, and we all agreed, “We must have a textile printer like the one they have in Swansea!” 

    A machine like that is a big boost for the textile section at the Department of Product Design and leads to an increased competence for the entire department, and for the students. It also provides opportunities for international cooperation.  

  • Shared knowledge and experiences

    Associate Professor Anne Grete Tøge at the Work Research Institute at Centre for Welfare and Labour Research visited The Institute of Health Equity at University College London in the autumn of 2018. 

    How did you use the staff mobility grant? 

    I used the grant to share knowledge and experiences with international colleagues in London. In general, the more resources people have, the more likely they are to have good health. Is it possible to influence such health inequalities? With the support of Erasmus+, I went to London and the UCL Institute of Health Equity looking for answers.  

    With me on the trip I had my daughter Anna (then 20 months) and my husband. We rented a small and sparsely equipped apartment in Portobello Road, a short distance from two of London's large parks. London is a busy city, so this proximity to the parks became valuable to us, especially for my husband who was with Anna while I was at work.  

    What did you learn?  

    The purpose of the stay was to job shadow Ruth Bell, one of the senior researchers at the institute, but since the entire institute was located in one and the same office, it was a job shadowing of the entire institute. During a normal day, information was exchanged, and discussions started.  

    What did you bring back to OsloMet?  

    Overall, this gave me a rich insight into how the department organises and carries out its tasks. When I snapped up something I took an interest in, it was easy to ask for more information, and during my stay I found many links between my own projects and the projects that took place at the UCL Institute of Health Equity, both methodically and thematically.  

    I have been on several Erasmus+ staff mobility visits, but then I have travelled alone. This is the first time I've brought my family. The advantage of this solution was that I didn't have to stay that long away from Anna. 

  • Improved English skills

    Asta Kristiansen, Senior Adviser, Department of External Relations and Communications, attended a language course at the London School of English in Canterbury in the autumn of 2015. 

    How did you use the staff mobility grant for training purposes?  

    I used the mobility grant to improve my English skills by attending the General English + language course at The London School of English in Canterbury. The school is centrally located in the heart of Canterbury and is a small school with around 25 pupils.  

    What did you learn? 

    The course provided increased competence in English in the way of:     

    • Improved vocabulary through discussions and conversations in class.  
    • Practiced correct pronunciation.  
    • Practiced grammar.  
    • Practical tasks. 
    • Individual feedback from the teacher.   

    What did you bring back to OsloMet?  

    In recent years, I have received a growing number of inquiries to be answered in English. It can be by e-mail, telephone or lectures/briefings. By improving my English skills, both orally and in writing throughout the course, it is easier to handle all the inquiries in English.  

  • Gained inspiration for the University Library at OsloMet

    Mari Serine Kannelønning and Gry Bettina Moxnes, then Senior Librarians, Department of Learning Centre and Library, the Learning Centre P48, visited Radboud University Nijmegen in the autumn of 2016. 

    How did you use the staff mobility grant for training purposes? 

    We faced a restructuring process of the library at OsloMet, and wanted inspiration. In addition to questions about how other university libraries are organised and what services a university library should offer, we were, by virtue of our own roles and tasks, also interested in how other libraries work to make themselves visible to users and, not least, how they furnish the library premises.   

    In other words, there was a lot of things we wanted to learn more about. The choice for destinations eventually fell on the Netherlands. This is because, in our sector (in the library world), the Netherlands are known to be a bit "forward looking" and development-oriented.   

    What did you learn? 

    After four intensive days, we were left with many good experiences that have been very useful for the change process we were working on. When we travelled to the Netherlands, we were just getting started on the preparation of an upcoming reorganisation.      

    The purpose of this work was, among other things, to streamline some of our work tasks so that we could take on more and new tasks. With our experience from the Netherlands, we were able to provide concrete input into this restructuring process.    

    The University Library in Radboud welcomed us with an extensive plan for our stay, which turned out to give us what we were looking for and more. They had recently undergone a major reorganisation, and in meetings with the library's management we were introduced to this reorganisation process and learned about the results of this work.  

    What did you bring back to OsloMet?

    This trip has not only taught us how other libraries are organised. It has also taught us that if you are facing a change, you need good solutions. To find good solutions it makes sense to seek inspiration elsewhere than from those you already know.  

    Going on exchange in the context of restructuring projects, provides an invaluable experience that really sets thoughts, projects, and processes in motion.