European programmes
20 September 2012
- EU programmes give young people from the UK international experience and language skills.
- EU programmes improve young people’s career prospects, providing the next generation of UK professionals and leaders with the skills, relationships and knowledge to trade, collaborate and attract investment globally.
- International experience and understanding of other cultures help build stronger foundations for the economic success of the UK.
The EU programmes Comenius, Erasmus and Youth in Action support internationalisation and student attainment
- The three EU programmes develop young people’s international experience and understanding of other cultures.
- They support foreign language-learning within UK schools.
- The EU programmes provide opportunities for UK educational policy-makers, university leaders, school leaders, teachers and youth leaders to share educational best practice.
The role of UK National Agency for the EU programmes Comenius, Erasmus and Youth in Action highlights the British Council’s commitment to international mobility for learning.
- We believe that learning through international mobility is critical in equipping the next generation to sustain and build UK prosperity.
- Erasmus is the largest and best-known higher education mobility programme in the world. More than two million students have studied in universities in other countries and learned about other cultures through Erasmus.
- Comenius, Erasmus and Youth in Action are core elements of our Royal Charter remit to develop international educational and cultural opportunities for young people, including through schools, colleges and universities.
The British Council was appointed UK National Agency for Comenius, Erasmus and Youth in Action by the UK government in 2006, following a competitive tender. The programmes run from 2007 to 2013.
EU programmes are funded by the European Union, through the European Commission and member states. The 2012 grants budget for Comenius is €17.6m, for Erasmus €46.5m and for Youth in Action €12.3m.
The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland emphasise the importance of EU programmes in their strategies.
These EU programmes provide the largest source of non-UK government funding in UK education for international mobility and co-operation.
In 2011, we awarded more than 1,400 Comenius grants to schools, colleges and local authorities, including 445 school partnership grants benefiting 5,000 UK teachers and 80,000 UK pupils. We also awarded more than 400 Youth in Action grants to enable 28,000 young
people to take part in youth exchanges and community activity, including international volunteering.
In the last academic year, more than 12,500 students completed study or work placements through Erasmus, the highest number ever.
30% of UK schools have taken part in eTwinning, the European Commission programme to support international co-operation between schools through information and communications technology. In the UK, the programme is managed by the British Council.
79% of UK business leaders say that knowledge and awareness of the wider world are important attributes in new recruits.
Around 60% of the UK’s top employers indicate that international experience increases a candidate’s chances to be employed.
75% of UK Erasmus students received a first or upper second degree, compared with 60% of other students on four-year courses.
97% of UK teachers co-ordinating Comenius school partnerships reported that their pupils had increased their skills and competences.
80% of UK young people who have participated in Youth in Action believe that their chances to be employed have increased as a result.
The European Commission is currently developing proposals for the next generation of EU programmes, which will be called Erasmus for All and which will incorporate all of the current separate programmes under one cross-sectoral umbrella.
Comenius
Comenius helps school students and staff to understand and value the range of cultures and languages found across Europe. It helps young people acquire the basic life skills and competences necessary for their personal development, future employment and active citizenship.
Comenius funds trans-national partnerships between schools, colleges and local education authorities as well as international training and capacity-building for teachers, trainee teachers and other school education staff.
Each year, more than 27,000 schools, 135,000 teachers and 1,500,000 pupils take part in Comenius activities across the 33 participating countries.
Erasmus
Erasmus is the EU’s exchange programme for higher education students, teaching staff and institutions. It funds international mobility for work and study, as well as trans-national co-operation projects among universities across Europe.
The scheme involves nine out of every ten European higher education institutions and supports co-operation between the universities of 33 countries.
Erasmus gives many European university students their first chance to live and learn new skills abroad. Over two and a half million students have benefited from Erasmus since its start in 1987.
Youth in Action
The EU’s Youth in Action programme provides young people and those working in the youth sector with a variety of opportunities for non-formal and informal learning with a European / international dimension.
Youth in Action enables young people to develop their skills for employability and experience new cultures, for example by volunteering abroad or by running a project in their community.
The programme also supports capacity-building for youth workers and youth organisations through training and partnership-building opportunities across Europe and beyond.
