Erasmus+ Annual Report 2019 - Questions and Answers - Hoofdinhoud
Today, the Commission is publishing the 2019 Annual Report on Erasmus+, the European Union's flagship programme to support and strengthen education, training, youth and sport in Europe. 34 countries participated in the programme in 2019: all 27 EU Member States, plus the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. The programme is also open to partner countries across the world.
Over the last three decades, more than 10 million people have participated in Erasmus+ and its predecessor programmes. For many of them, it turned out to be a life-changing experience.
Since 2014, the programme has become broader and more innovative, providing opportunities for study periods abroad, traineeships, and apprenticeships for both higher education and vocational education and training students. It offers youth exchanges and and staff exchanges in all fields of education, training and youth, as well as projects in the field of sport. Erasmus+ also continued to become more inclusive and foster the participation of people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
What were the main developments in 2019?
In 2019, there was continuity in the programme priorities. As in previous years, emphasis was placed on activities promoting social inclusion, equity and active citizenship in formal and non-formal education, training, youth and sport. Integrated and innovative approaches were used in education, training, youth and sport activities to foster, diversity, equality, gender balance and non-discrimination.
The programme also focused on actions supporting the professional development of educators and youth workers, particularly in dealing with early school leaving, learners with disadvantaged backgrounds and diversity in classrooms. Priority areas included supporting open education and innovative teaching practices, fostering transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications as well as promoting sustainable investment, performance and efficiency.
Once again, in 2019, the Erasmus+ programme reached out to a record number of participants and beneficiaries:
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-Around 111,000 organisations benefited from funding to carry out around 25,000 projects.
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-In the field of higher education, more than 444,000 students, trainees and staff spent a learning period abroad during the 2018/2019 academic year.
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-More than 192,000 vocational education and training learners and staff were able to spend a learning period abroad thanks to 2019 funding.
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-More than 174,000 young people and youth workers benefited from Erasmus+ funding, either in the form of youth exchanges or opportunities for youth workers.
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-The European Week of Sport reached a new record with the participation of over 15.3 million Europeans from 42 European countries.
Work on the digitalisation of administrative processes associated with Erasmus+, in particular in higher education, continued throughout 2019. The Erasmus Without Paper Network, which enables higher education institutions to connect their information systems, to streamline the exchange of student data and to facilitate digital management of student mobility, was promoted throughout the year. The number of higher education institutions joining the network to test the various features of the system increased by 50% by the end of 2019.
In addition, the Erasmus+ mobile app has been downloaded and installed more than 85,000 times since its launch in mid-2017. More than 800,000 people have benefitted from online language training since 2014, among them almost 9,500 newly arrived refugees.
In 2019, Erasmus+ supported the initial Digital Education Action Plan, which addresses key policy challenges in the field of digital education through 11 specific actions. eTwinning, an Erasmus+ community connecting teachers and schools, reached the landmark figure of more than 750,000 registered users since 2005. Similarly, the School Education Gateway and Electronic Platform for Adult learning (EPALE), with 80,000 registered users each, further contributed to the exchange of information, ideas, and practices across Europe.
What other projects related to education, training and youth received funding in 2019?
Erasmus+ promotes cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices in the fields of education, training, and youth. The following initiatives were funded:
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-Strategic Partnerships are cooperation projects that provide opportunities for a variety of public, private, and non-governmental organisations to run a broad range of activities. They can boost innovative, quality, and inclusive education, foster training and youth work in a digital environment. They can also help to improve competences through lifelong learning, as well as empower young people and strengthen their involvement in different communities and democratic processes. For example, in 2019, a total of 2,900 school education and school exchange projects received funding, while in adult education close to 620 projects were supported.
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-Capacity building actions support the internationalisation, modernisation, relevance and accessibility of higher education in partner countries, as well as cooperation and exchanges between partner and programme countries in the field of youth. Under the 2019 call, this action funded 163 higher education projects and 121 youth projects.
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-Knowledge Alliances (transnational projects bringing together higher education institutions and business) helped develop new ways of creating, producing, and sharing knowledge and entrepreneurial skills and competences. In 2019, the programme funded 33 Knowledge Alliances, involving 336 organisations.
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-The Sector Skills Alliances funded 18 projects aimed at tackling skills gaps with regard to one or more occupational profiles in a specific sector. In 2019, 285 organisations were involved. These alliances are transnational projects identifying or drawing on existing and emerging skills needs in a specific economic sector and/or translating these needs into vocational curricula. They are run by a consortium of organisations, mainly with links to the vocational education and training sector.
How does the programme promote inclusion, equity and skills?
As in previous years, Erasmus+ projects supporting social inclusion through education, youth and sport activities were a priority. This is reflected in the programme's funding for formal and non-formal education and training, and encompasses all levels and settings of education: early childhood education and care, youth and sport activities, initial and continuing vocational education and training, higher education and adult learning.
More than 174,000 young people and youth workers benefited from Erasmus+ funding, either in the form of youth exchanges or opportunities for youth workers. Through these actions, the programme reached out to significant numbers of young people who would normally have access to fewer opportunities.
In line with the New Skills Agenda for Europe, Erasmus+ also remained a strong pillar in promoting the full range of knowledge, skills, and competences that help people succeed in our fast-changing societies, including transversal skills such as creativity, problem solving, and an entrepreneurial mind-set.
What developments were there in the sport sector?
A total budget of €59.2 million was dedicated to the sport chapter in 2019. It funded 260 projects and initiatives, 144 of which were run by grassroots sports organisations. These included 12 non-profit European sport events, which focussed on encouraging social inclusion and equal opportunities in sport, and on increasing participation in sport and physical activity. The budget also funded the fifth edition of the European Week of Sport with unprecedented success; over 15.3 million Europeans were involved, along with activities under the Tartu Call for a healthy life style and the promotion of social inclusion through sport.
The 2019 #Beactive Awards recognised nine nominees across Europe based on their commitment to promote sport and wellbeing in their communities and organisations. The third edition of the #Beinclusive EU sports awards was also organised to recognise organisations using the power of sport to increase social inclusion for disadvantaged groups.
How does the Commission support higher education and youth cooperation in partner countries?
Individual mobility: over 22,100 higher education participants came to study or teach in the 34 programme countries. Around 11,200 students from programme countries studied or taught in a partner country. With 48 newly selected Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees in 2019, Erasmus+ is funding around 3,190 student scholarships over six years.
Cooperation projects: the two Capacity Building actions in the fields of Higher Education and Youth were another means of engaging with the rest of the world, and brought together 2,576 organisations in 284 new projects in 2019. This action also contributes to the EU's external action objectives with the implementation of four specific strands: the ACPALA (ACP countries, Asia and Latin America) strand, the Western Balkans strand, the Eastern Partnership strand and the South Mediterranean strand.
In 2019, the Jean Monnet Activities supported 284 new actions in 45 countries. The successful applications included many teaching modules, university chairs, networks, projects, centres of excellence and support to associations involving total support of €18.2 million. Out of the 284 selected projects, two-thirds are from programme country institutions and one-third from non EU-member state institutions, which confirms that the Jean Monnet Actions have become truly global.
What data is available on the Erasmus+ projects?
The statistical annex to the 2019 Erasmus+ report offers comprehensive information about the different actions and the budget and commitments available for them, along with detailed information on the number of projects, participants and organisations. Data per country is also available for selected actions.
Qualitative information on the Erasmus+ projects is available through the Erasmus+ Project Results platform, a database giving free access to descriptions, results and contact information for all projects funded under the Erasmus+ programme in education, training, youth, and sport. Through the Open Data Portal, results can also be retrieved in excel format for further analysis.
For More Information
Erasmus+ Annual Report 2019 including country-specific factsheets
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