General information on Education Centre Copenhagen West (CPH WEST):

Job Swop for teachers

Through the existing job-swop organisations it is possible for foreign teachers to work at CPH WEST for periods of 1 - 3 months.

International visitors

As CPH WEST is among the foremost in development of new pedagogical methods in connection with the VET-Reform 2000, many institutions like to visit us. In recent years we have had visitors from most of the EU-countries, Russia , China , USA , Jordan , and Norway .

European organisations:

CPH WEST is an active member of EfVET (European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training).

Louise Rosthøj is chairman of EfVET-Denmark. EfVET is mainly a network organisation, but today it is also recognised as an NGO by the EU-commission. If you want to know more about EfVET, try our homepage at www.efvet.org 

European projects:

2001-03: Leonardo: "CLOVER"  - an acronym for "Learning processes in an Open learning environment focussed on Vocational Education in a Reform time". The aim was to analyse the learning process of so-called "weak" students, based on the idea that alternative pedagogic methods can make them apprehend the subject just as well as other types of students. Subjects: catering, fashion, electronics, and carpentry.

Partners: Bornholms Erhvervsskole ( Denmark ), GTB-Leipzig ( Germany ) and Huittisten Aikuiskouluskeskus ( Finland ).

2001-04: Leonardo Pilot: "Euro Middle Management Training" (EMMT). Based on the fact that vocational colleges mostly recruit their management from own staff, i.e. people with no formal management training, we have developed a course on a number of central issues, i.e. quality organisation, staff development, flexibility, etc. all seen in a European perspective. Between courses the participants worked on chosen subjects with a senior manager as a mentor.

Partners: Formidlingscentret ( Denmark ), Confederacion Espanola de Centros de Ensenanza ( Spain ), Norton Radstock College ( England ), Georg Kerschensteiner Berufsbildungszentrum ( Germany ), Kaunas Building Training Centre ( Lithuania ) and EfVET Central ( Belgium ). Duration: 2001-04


2001-04: Comenius: "The Importance of being Earnest". Many people - both young and adult - have dogmatic opinions on global issues like nuclear power, the green house effect etc., but at the same time they do not mind throwing paper and cigarette butts in the street! Our intention was to develop a joint curriculum for a more conscious behaviour in these matters, but as it is only a part of the EU-commission's ideas on "European Citizenship" the project has developed into many more aspects than that: Legal/economic, socio-cultural, environmental, and the issue of democracy.

The project involved both VET and Upper Secondary Technical teachers and students. Student representatives were involved in developing the curriculum in order to ensure that the pedagogic methods would catch the attention of all students. The issues can easily be adapted to teaching programmes for students at all levels.

Partners: IPSIA Ferrari ( Italy ), Escola Profissional do Alto Minho ( Portugal ), Centro F.P. La Blanca Paloma ( Spain ). www.eprami.org/earnest.htm/html will take you to the website


2004: Leonardo Mobility: "Fashion tendencies in two different decades". 18 Danish students from the department of beauty therapy and hairdressing went to colleges in Finland , France and Greece for three weeks, and students from the three countries visited Denmark to finish the project.

Partners: Kokkolan Kauppaopisto, FI, the Greek Union of Beauticians, and Lycée Marcel Lamy, FR.


2004: NordPlus Junior: "The Roaring 20'ies" with Tampere College , Finland . During March 18 students of beauty therapy, fashion and hairdressing worked together on the issue and finished off with a magnificent fashion show.


2004-05: NordPlus Neighbour: "Teambuilding and Competence based learning":   VET-colleges in Russia and the Baltic countries are in a period of transition into new pedagogical methods. In Finland and Denmark this transition is almost done. The aim of the project was to give tools to school managers to conduct this transition, so it will be made easier for the teachers to cope with change - simply by transferring the knowledge of possible pitfalls and other experiences gained in Denmark and Finland through working with these issues for several years.

Partners: , Marijampoles Profesinio Rengimo Centras, Kaunas Vocational Centre for Service Business Specialities, Panevezio Profesinio Rengimo Centras, Vilnaus Lengvosios Pramones - all from Lithuania. Professional Lyceum of Costume Design and Theatre Technologies, Vocational Lyceum Petrogradsky, Vocational Lyceum of Restoration, Vocational Lyceum of Culinary Arts - all from St. Petersburg, Russia.

Experts were from the North Savo Consortium for Education ( Finland ), Bornholms Erhvervsskole, ( Denmark ) and CPH WEST.


2004-06: Leonardo Pilot: "Strengthening and dissemination middle management training in the European training sector" (EMMT2). The project was based on "EMMT" (mentioned above) and targeting a new audience. The project organised a systematic dissemination of the innovative concept, and strengthen the integration of the European dimension into management training.

There are 15 partners in the project from VET-colleges and organisations in BE, BG, CZ, DE, DK, ES, LT, PL and UK . CPH WEST was the co-ordinator. www.emmt.dk


2004-07: Leonardo Pilot: "Res Integra - reducing early school leaving by an integrated approach".   The aim is to focus on the improvement of guidance methodologies and ways to make learning more attractive to fulfil the social task of the VET-colleges and to prevent early school leaving. Possibilities will be explored to integrate social youth work into the guidance at the colleges.

There are 21 partners in the project from VET-colleges, universities and organisations in AT, CZ, DK, FR, GR, NL, and UK . BVE Raad in NL is the co-ordinator.


2004-07: Leonardo Pilot: "Skills demonstrations Abroad". The themes "skills demonstrations" or "competence-based qualifications" have been discussed in many European countries for the past few years. However, the educational systems, practices and traditions in different countries vary quite a lot. Students are encouraged to do part of their on-the-job learning abroad and to do their skills demonstrations during the on-the-job learning periods. Because of the differences between the countries it is difficult to organise skills demonstrations in foreign companies qualitatively, that means in the way that the requirements of the national curriculum of the sending country are met. The project "Skills Demonstrations Abroad" was planned to tackle this problem. There are 22 partners from 5 countries (FI, DK, NL, BE, HU), and The Savo Consortium for Education is the co-ordinator. From Denmark both CPH WEST and Bornholms Erhvervsskole take part. www.skillda.fi


2005-2007: Leonardo mobility: "SKILLDA in practise": In connection with the project mentioned above students from Finland and Denmark do practise abroad for 1-3 months in order to test the material developed in the pilot project. Bornholms Erhvervsskole represents catering and CPH WEST tailoring.


2006-07: Comenius school partnership: "European Citizenship: Cultural Heritage of the Renaissance. Fashion and Liberation": A major part of the concept European Citizenship is acknowledging and having respect for each country's culture, traditions, history, and religion, which form the basis of the society as it is today. Teaching such subjects theoretically to VET-student may not stimulate and motivate. Therefore this project concentrates on very attractive life stories of historical personalities of the partner counties in a specific period of European cultural development. The participating students come from VET- tailoring, hairdressing and beauty therapy. The final product of the project will be a show in Copenhagen in April 2007. The students from all partner schools will make and then wear the costumes of the Renaissance period in their countries and tell about famous women in this period. Partners are IPSIA Antonio Bernocchi (IT), ROC Amsterdam (NL), Savo Consortium (FI), and Lycée Professionnel Louis Guilloux (FR). CPH WEST is the co-ordinator. Marijampole VET-centre (LT) did not receive a grant but will participate virtually during the work and participate in the final show.

http://eu-citizen.cphwest.dk/

The aim of the project is to produce quality standards from best practise examples in five areas:

The result will be a European based strategy to meet the needs of a competitive economy and an inclusive society. The mutual strategy focus on a training system with high standards, which transmits and develops knowledge and culture from one generation to the next, promotes respect for and engagement in learning, broadens horizons and develops high expectations. It ensures that all young people progressively develop the knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and values in the curriculum, and become effective, enthusiastic and independent learners, committed to lifelong learning and able to handle the demands of adult life. The project represents an important contribution to support improvements in quality and innovation.
Our mantra is -It is extremely important to create an environment so that each student can utilize his or her full potential?.
Partners are: Norton Radstock College (UK), ITE-CECE (ES), Marijampole PRC (LT), Landstede VET-college (NL), EfVET (BE), Formidlingscentret (DK) as coordinator and CPH WEST (DK) as contractor. http://goodschool.cphwest.dk

2008-10: Comenius school partnership: "European Citizenship: Cultural Heritage of the 18th and 19th century. Fashion and Liberation":
The partnership from the Comenius renaissance project mentioned above has been granted a new project in the same line. This time we will concentrate on the French Revolution and the rise of democracy. The fashion styles will be rococo, empire and Biedermeier. Again this time Lithuania was refused a grant.  The final show will be in France in April 2010.

CPH WEST International contact persons:

Technical fields: Mr. Kim von Bülow kvb@cphwest.dk