Two Belgian laureates for European Citizen’s Prize

05/02/2015

Bednet and Skills Belgium are among the 46 winners of the European Citizen’s Prize 2014, which is presented by the European Parliament. This prize, which was established in 2008, rewards initiatives that have an exemplary function for European integration. Each member of the EU Parliament can nominate one candidate every year. A maximum of 50 honours are awarded every year.

Skills Belgium focuses on the promotion of technical professions and manual labour. Every year it organises a competition which switches between national and European or international level. The participants compete in over 45 occupations from the construction industry, public works, the steel and car industries, IT, agriculture and horticulture, the food industry, graphic design, etc. Exchanging experiences, sharing knowledge, engagement and integrity of the profession and respect for different cultures are central to these competitions. The aim of this national and international competition is three-fold: showing off young people’s and their trainers’ talent by assessing them against international standards and professional requirements; improving the visibility and positive image of manual, technical and technological professions in the eyes of the general public; and giving young participants and their trainers the chance to have an enriching experience on a personal and professional level.

Bednet is an organisation that focuses on making the education of children with long-term illnesses possible. Given that these children cannot attend lessons in classrooms, Bednet ensures that they can take part in the lesson with their classmates from a distance, using a live internet connection. In this way, the children’s learning process is supported and their social contact stimulated. Since the start of the 2007-2008 school year, more than 1,000 children suffering from long-term illnesses have been able to use Bednet’s free services.

In order to fulfil their commitment on a European level, Bednet has been involved in the European LeHo project since 2014. In collaboration with 8 partners from Italy, Spain, Germany, England and Egypt, Bednet is creating an international network for home and hospital education through ICT. For this, they can count on a modest contribution from the Lifelong Learning Programme. Their most important aim is to examine the educational needs and requirements of sick pupils and to see which ICT solutions can improve access to education for these children.