Erasmus +
After the Lifelong Learning Programme had ended in 2013, a new programme called Erasmus+ started in the next year proposed by the European Commission. The programme brings together all the current EU and international schemes for education, training, youth and sports, and replaces seven existing programmes with one.
Erasmus+ between 2014-2020 contributes to reaching certain goals of the EU. Among others, the programme helps to facilitate the EU 2020 strategy as higher education and training are instrumental in increasing employability and achieving development. Through the new initiative, the EU will significantly increase the funds allocated for the development of knowledge and skills. More grants will be offered for students, trainees, teachers and other participants. The benefits individuals can take advantage of will also bring benefits for the economy of the EU as a whole.
The European job market is changing. The number of high-skilled jobs is growing while the number of low-skilled jobs is decreasing. It is estimated that by 2020 nearly 35% of all jobs will require high skills, innovation capacity and the ability to adapt. One of the headline targets in the Europe 2020 strategy is to raise higher education attainment to 40%. The other education headline target in the Europe 2020 strategy is to reduce the share of early school leavers from 14% to less than 10%.
One of the aims of the Erasmus+ programme is to help people gain more and better skills through opportunities to study and train abroad. Modernising education and training systems is also an important part of the initiative, just like offering more opportunities for education and training institutions as well as youth organisations to engage in partnerships and to exchange good practice with businesses for the promotion of innovation and employability.
The name “Erasmus is a name which is widely recognised by the public and strongly associated with learning abroad and European cooperation. In setting up an integrated single programme, it makes sense to avoid multiple names and to capitalise on the popularity and awareness of the Erasmus brand.” – the European Commission argues.
The programme supports three main types of actions:
- Learning opportunities for individuals, both within the EU and beyond, including: study and training, traineeships, teaching and professional development and non-formal youth activities such as volunteering.
- Institutional cooperation between education institutions, youth organisations, businesses, local and regional authorities and NGOs.
- Support for policy reform in Member States and cooperation with non-EU countries.
Erasmus+ is open for all learners and trainers in all EU Member States, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, EU candidate countries, which can benefit from a pre-accession strategy, and other countries in the Western Balkans.
In addition, non-EU neighbouring countries are able to benefit from actions aimed at promoting youth activities as well as study and training opportunities abroad.
The loan guarantee scheme is a completely new element of the programme giving support for Master’s degree students to finance their studies abroad and to acquire the skills they need for knowledge intensive jobs.
Students of higher education institutions have to apply in their home higher education institution.
- Overall budget is €19 billion (includes €1.8 billion for international cooperation)
- Overall mobility opportunities: 5 million people
- Higher education: 2.2 million students
- Staff mobility: 1 million teachers, trainers, youth workers and other staff
- Vocational education and training: 735,000 students
- Volunteer and youth exchange schemes: 540,000 young persons
- Master’s degree loan guarantee scheme: 330,000 students
- International students: 135,000 students
- Joint degree grants: 34,000 students
Source on the website of the European Commission: ec.europa.eu/education/erasmus-for-all
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