Reinforce Erasmus+ to face unemployment

Erasmus+ funding will triple in next years. But the biggest news is a major attention to lifelong learning and vocational activities. 

The European Parliament wants to triple the Erasmus+ funding in the next budget 2021-27: this is what has appeared few days ago on the official channels of the EP. This measure not only will boost mobility and make the scheme more accessible, but presents a very important news, if compared to the past: a wider focus on lifelong learning.

In the new programme, indeed, centers of vocational excellence will promote quality vocational trainings. And participants will gain useful skills for the future, from digitalization to climate.

“We focused on making it more inclusive for EU citizens, regardless of their socio-economic background”

Milan Zver, Slovenian MEP and member of the Committee on Culture and Education, has declared.

This new measure will be one of the initiatives the EU launched to counter youth unemployment. Even if employment and youth policies are the responsability of member states, the EU supports them with complementary initiatives.

Youth unemployment, indeed, is still a big challenge, but is also one of the priorities in EU policy.

What are these initiatives?

The initiatives of the EU focus mostly on:

• funding youth employment programmes;
• improving the quality of apprenticeships and traineeships;
• offering international education and job opportunities;
• making it easier for young people to take part in volunteering projects.

What are the EU initiatives for people interested in international mobility and volunteering?

Erasmus+

It is an umbrella programme focusing on mobility and transnational cooperation. It covers school and higher education, vocational education and training, adult learning, youth non-formal and informal learning, and sports. Erasmus+ enables students to study abroad, provides teaching and training opportunities for staff working in the education sector, supports traineeships and youth exchanges.

It offers mobility opportunities to millions people and is enabling 25,000 strategic partnerships.

Your first Eures Job

It is a EU job mobility scheme, with the aim to match young jobseekers with remunerated employment offers across Europe. It wants to help young Europeans to find a job or an apprenticeship (for at least 6 months) or a traineeship (for at least 3 months) in another EU country, Norway or Iceland. For further information, visit the website.

European Solidarity Corps

It finances volunteering activities, traineeships and jobs for young people in projects benefitting communities and people around Europe until the end 2020. The priorities of this programme for 2021-27 will include humanitarian aid outside Europe and more opportunities for youth with fewer opportunities, from remote areas or with a migrant background.