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Announcing details of the new programme, Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth said:
"Investing in education and training is the best investment we can make for Europe's future. Studying abroad boosts people's skills, personal development and adaptability, and makes them more employable. We want to ensure that many more people benefit from EU support for these opportunities".
She added: "We also need to invest more to improve the quality of education and training at all levels so we are a match for the best in the world and so that we can deliver more jobs and higher growth."
The programme proposes
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2.2 million higher education students receive grants to spend part of their education and training abroad, this includes 135,000 students getting support to study in a non-EU country, as well as non-EU students coming to study in the EU;
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735,000 vocational students would be able to spend part of their education and training abroad;
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1 million teachers, trainers and youth workers would receive funding to teach or train abroad;
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700,000 young people would go on traineeships in companies abroad;
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330,000 Master's degree students would benefit from loan guarantees to help finance studies abroad under a brand-new scheme;
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540,000 young people would be able to volunteer abroad or participate in youth exchanges;
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34,000 students would receive grants for a 'joint degree', which involves studying in at least two higher education institutions abroad;
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115,000 institutions/organisations involved in education, training and/or youth activities or other bodies would get funding to set up more than 20,000 'strategic partnerships' to implement joint initiatives and promote exchange of experience and know-how;
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4,000 education institutions and enterprises would form 400 'knowledge alliances' and 'sector skills alliances' to boost employability, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The seven-year programme (due to start in 2014 with a total budget of €19 billion) would bring together seven EU and international schemes (Lifelong Learning Programme (Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius, Grundtvig),Youth in Action, Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Alfa, Edulink and the bilateral cooperation programme with industrialised countries) under the one programme.
Next steps
The proposal will now be discussed by member states' ministers (Council of Ministers) and MEPs who will take the final decision.
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