Entrepreneurship is increasingly important if young people want to succeed after they leave full time education. As a result, schools are becoming more and more responsible for developing what is both a mindset and a skill. Erasmus+ projects have a part to play by making sure that educational staff are equipped with the knowledge, teaching materials and methodologies they need.
We are very happy to announce that 14 eTwinning projects have been awarded the 2017 eTwinning European Prizes! The jury selected a winner and a runner-up (from three age categories), and eight special achievements from among the 591 entries. The selected projects show the incredible variety and high interest in eTwinning projects.
For 30 years, the European Commission has offered opportunities for people to travel and discover Europe. This year the ‘Move2Learn, Learn2Move’ initiative is being launched so that young people engaged in e-Twinning projects can travel in Europe to meet their European "twins" or discover new countries, thanks to the 5,000 to 6,000 travel tickets up for grabs.
Since its official launch on 19 October 2016, the School Education Gateway has grown by 50% in less than 6 months, with more than 30 000 registrations! Available in 23 European languages, the School Education Gateway provides a single point of entry for everyone active in the field of school education.
The EU is taking action to increase the effectiveness, attractiveness, quality and flexibility of vocational education and training (VET). One key way is through further developing the European Credit System for VET (ECVET) , which has already helped VET systems become more flexible at national level. Erasmus+ is crucial to this evolution as it will build on the great work being done by the European VET community through EU-funded projects.
Real life-long learning is about more than just adding professional training sessions and courses to your CV. We also learn in other ways, through our own interests and experiences, without an approved syllabus or without even intending to acquire knowledge. The New Skills Agenda highlights that people should be able to use the full range of their skills for their careers or for further learning, including what they gain in non-formal or informal learning.
Building on the success of last year, the 2017 European Vocational Skills Week will be organised from 20 to 24 November.
Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliances are innovative European projects bringing Higher Education Institutions and businesses together to work on highly relevant issues for both parties. These projects aim to strengthen Europe's capacity to innovate and to support the modernisation of Europe's higher education systems. Want to learn more or interested in applying for funding?
Culinary innovation, consumer behaviour, and packaging technology are just some of the ingredients of FIPDes, a master programme that is dedicated to training a new generation of international food professionals. Its graduates receive a holistic view of this vital sector of industry. This joint master degree equips students with the talent and vision required to create sound, sustainable and healthy food solutions for future generations. It is just one of 100 Erasmus Mundus joint master degrees funded by the Erasmus+ programme.
Spin-Off Lean Acceleration is ambitious – just like the students it aims to help. The project plans to "become the bridge between Europe and Latin America" that supports the modernisation of Higher Education Institutions. This inspiring project is funded by Erasmus+ as a Capacity Building project in Higher Education.
Providing students with real-life work experience is one of the main objectives of Erasmus+. Merging theory with practice should soon become the norm for most graduates and post-graduates in Europe, especially for those disciplines where work-based learning is not commonly used. This is precisely why the Erasmus+ programme supports traineeships abroad for students and recent graduates as well as strategic partnership projects that foster cooperation between the worlds of work and education.
Even though studying at university provides students with the skills needed to get a job, young people are often thrown in at the deep end when they enter the world of work. While they gain skills and knowledge, they are not necessarily prepared for the reality of the labour market. Erasmus+ is changing this by inviting business experts to teach at universities.
Want to sign up more than 1 person to use our services? There is now a new helpful feature in the "Participant Portal" that allows up to 10 additional users to be added. This means there will be constant access to an organisation's data even if one of the users leaves your organisation.
What is it that makes an idea fit for European funding? Check out our online platform where you can have a look at all projects that have been accepted for funding and make sure that your idea is innovative enough! The platform is updated on a daily basis and projects are shared there to inspire you and help you find new partners. Why not take a look?
Around 30 500 applications were received by National Agencies before the closing date of 2nd February 2017 for the first round of calls for mobility of individuals. The number of participants has been significantly rising since the launch of the Erasmus+ Programme in 2014.
Erasmus+ opens the door to a world of employment opportunities. Whether you find a job in a new country or sector, or build upon knowledge relevant to your field, Erasmus+ is proven to improve your prospects for a successful career. In fact, mobile higher education students are twice as likely to have a job one year after graduation compared to their non-mobile peers. Volunteering also boosts participants' chances of finding a job, as 75% of employers value such experience.
It can be difficult to achieve the same level of skills across European countries. However, the pioneering work of European cooperation has helped to improve the situation for professionals across Europe. Find out more about the trans-European recognition of skills and compare qualifications and regulations.
Athletes' mobility is one of the most obvious elements in the sport world: athletes train and compete in various countries. Erasmus+ Sport offers an additional dimension of the freedom of movement in sports through exchange of volunteers, coaches, managers and staff in non-profit organisations. Such exchanges happen within the framework of ‘small collaborative partnerships’ made up of at least 3 organisations from three Programme countries, with a maximum grant of €60 000. This type of partnership was introduced in 2016 and amongst 60 small collaborative partnerships, eight mobility projects were selected for funding.
Learning is not restricted to the classroom. Erasmus+ also supports the recognition and visibility of non-formal and informal learning through the Youthpass certificate. The certificate and the learning process linked to it can be useful when applying for a job, further education or other projects. So far, more than 630 000 young people have received a Youthpass certificate.
Calling to share your opinion! An online public consultation on the new European Solidarity Corps has been launched. The website will collate the opinions of all those who wish to give their vision of how the organisation would work best. Input is welcome from all involved or not yet involved.
