Erasmus+ is the EU Programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014-20201 .
Education, training, youth and sport can make a major contribution to help tackle socio-economic changes, the key challenges that Europe will be facing until the end of the decade and to support the implementation of the European policy agenda for growth, jobs, equity and social inclusion. 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. The same risk threatens many adults with low skills. Technologies are changing the way in which society operates, and there is a need to ensure the best use is made of them. EU businesses need to become more competitive through talent and innovation. Europe needs more cohesive and inclusive societies which allow citizens to play an active role in democratic life. Education and youth work are key to prevent violent radicalisation by promoting common European values, fostering social integration, enhancing intercultural understanding and a sense of belonging to a community. Erasmus+ is an important instrument to promote the inclusion of people with disadvantaged backgrounds, especially newly arrived migrants, in response to critical events affecting European countries.
Another challenge relates to the development of social capital among young people, the empowerment of young people and their ability to participate actively in society, in line with the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty to “encourage the participation of young people in democratic life in Europe”. This issue can also be targeted through non-formal learning activities, which aim at enhancing the skills and competences of young people as well as their active citizenship. Moreover, there is a need to provide youth organisations and youth workers with training and cooperation opportunities, to develop their professionalism and the European dimension of youth work.
Well-performing education and training systems and youth policies can help to tackle these challenges by providing people with the skills required by the labour market and the economy, while allowing them to play an active role in society and achieve personal fulfilment. Reforms in education, training and youth can strengthen progress towards these goals, on the basis of a shared vision between policy makers and stakeholders, sound evidence and cooperation across different fields and levels. The Erasmus+ Programme is designed to support Programme ountries’ efforts to efficiently use the potential of Europe’s talent and social assets in a lifelong learning perspective, linking support to formal, non-formal and informal learning throughout the education, training and youth fields.
The Programme also enhances the opportunities for cooperation and mobility with Partner Countries, notably in the fields of higher education and youth. In accordance with one of the new elements introduced in the Lisbon Treaty, Erasmus+ also supports activities aiming at developing the European dimension in sport, by promoting cooperation between bodies responsible for sports. The Programme promotes the creation and development of European networks, providing opportunities for cooperation among stakeholders and the exchange and transfer of knowledge and know-how in different areas relating to sport and physical activity.
This reinforced cooperation will notably have positive effects in developing the potential of Europe’s human capital by helping reduce the social and economic costs of physical inactivity. The Programme supports actions, cooperation and tools consistent with the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its flagship initiatives, such as Youth on the Move and the Agenda for new skills and jobs.
The Programme also contributes to achieve the objectives of the Education and Training Strategic Framework for European cooperation in Education and Training and of the European Youth Strategy through the Open Methods of Coordination. This investment in knowledge, skills and competences will benefit individuals, institutions, organisations and society as a whole by contributing to growth and ensuring equity, prosperity and social inclusion in Europe and beyond.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
· The Erasmus+ Programme shall contribute to the achievement of:
- the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, including the headline education target2 ;
- the objectives of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020), including the corresponding benchmarks;
- the sustainable development of Partner Countries in the field of higher education;
- the overall objectives of the renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018);
- the objective of developing the European dimension in sport, in particular grassroots sport, in line with the EU work plan for sport;
- the promotion of European values in accordance with Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union3 .
MOBILITY PROJECT FOR VET LEARNERS AND STAFF A VET mobility project can comprise one or more of the following activities:
Learners’ mobility:
- a VET traineeship abroad for up to 12 months. This activity is open to both apprentices and students in vocational training schools. These learners undertake a vocational training placement in another country. Learners are hosted either at a workplace (in an enterprise or other relevant organisation) or at a VET school (with periods of work-based learning in an enterprise or other relevant organisation). Each mobility activity is set within a quality framework previously agreed upon by the sending and receiving organisations to ensure a high level of quality for the activity, including a “Learning Agreement”. The learning outcomes are formally recognised and validated at an institutional level, course contents are adapted as necessary to ensure that the mobility period abroad fits well with the course in which the apprentice/VET student is enrolled. In order to strengthen the employability of young people and to facilitate their transition to the labour market, recent graduates from VET schools or companies providing VET to apprentices can participate in this activity as well. Staff mobility:
- teaching/training assignments: this activity allows staff of VET schools to teach at a partner VET school abroad. It also allows staff of enterprises to provide training at a VET organisation abroad.
- staff training: this activity supports the professional development of VET staff in the form of a work placement or a job shadowing/observation period abroad in an enterprise or any other VET organisation. Erasmus+ supports learning mobility of staff that: – is framed into a strategic approach of the participating organisations (aimed at modernising and internationalising their mission); – responds to clearly identified staff development needs and is accompanied by appropriate selection, preparation and follow-up measures; – ensures that the learning outcomes of participating staff are properly recognised and ensures that the learning outcomes are disseminated and widely used within the organisation. These activities are also an opportunity for VET staff to gain competences in addressing the needs of learners with disadvantaged backgrounds. Given the current context concerning young migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, particular attention will be also given to support projects that train VET staff in such areas as training refugee children, intercultural classrooms, teaching youngsters in their second language, classroom tolerance and diversity.