Erasmus+ is the EU's new programme for boosting skills and employability through education, training, youth, and sport. Between 2014-2020 the programme will provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain work experience, and volunteerabroad. Funding for youth activities under Erasmus+ aims to improve the key competences, skills and employability of young people, promote young people's social inclusion and well-being, and foster improvements in youth work and youth policy at local, national and international level.
Concretely in the field of youth, the Erasmus+ programme offers three main opportunities:
- Key Action 1: mobility opportunities for young peopleand youth workers. Young people have the opportunity to participate in youth-exchanges or to volunteer for a period up to one year in another country. Youth workers can take part in training and networking activities abroad or spend some time in a youth organisation abroad for a job shadowing or an observation period.
- Key Action 2: opportunities for cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practices. Organisations can apply for funding to work in partnership with organisations from other participating countries. The projects funded under this action will focus on sharing, developing and transferring innovative practices in education, training and youth provision between participating countries.
- Key Action 3: opportunities to support policy reform. The Erasmus+ programme will fund strategic activities supporting policy reform across the EU. Funding opportunities in the field of youth under this action can take the form of meetings between young people and decision makers.
Various opportunities are available under Erasmus+, including opportunities for young people (aged 13-30), youth organisations, and other stakeholders active in the field of youth.
