The European programme Erasmus+, which will reach a financing of EUR 14.7 bln in the next 6 years and will grant Romania in 2014 almost EUR 50 M for cooperation projects in education, training and youth, was launched yesterday in Bucharest, in presence of the European commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Androulla Vassiliou.
According to the European commissioner, Erasmus+ is a new programme for education, training, youth and sports, which will offer scholarships to 120,000 Romanian students, allowing them to study, follow formational courses, gain professional experience or participate in voluntary actions abroad over the next 6 years.
“The budget of the Erasmus+ programme for the next 6 years is EUR 14.7 bln, 40 pc more than the budget of the previous programmes during 2007 — 2013. Each member state will enjoy a significant increase of the financing for the duration of the programme,” the European commissioner said in a press conference held at the Palace of the Parliament, quoted by Agerpres.
Erasmus+ will increase the quality and relevance of European systems of education, training and youth, by granting support for the training of didactic personnel and youth animators, and also by establishing closer partnerships between the education system and employers, Androulla Vassiliou explained.
The programme will be beneficial to 2 million higher education students who will have the possibility to learn or follow training courses abroad; 650,000 apprentices and youths who take professional training courses will receive scholarships enabling them to study, take courses or work abroad; 200,000 students who prepare their master degree and follow a complete cycle of studies abroad will benefit from guarantees or loans; 800,000 professors, trainers, youth activists who will teach or learn abroad.
Between 2007 and 2013, approximately 80,000 students, youths, professors, trainers and youth animators from Romania received scholarships through the EU lifelong learning programme and the ‘Youth in action’ programme that were replaced by the Erasmus+ programme.
The European programme Erasmus+ was launched during the conference “maintaing youths on the labour market, in the education system and/or in professional training programmes: Common challenges – common solutions.”
The event is part of the programme of the acting presidency of the South-East European Cooperation Programme (SEECP), held by Romania in the interval 2013-2014, and is organised by the Ministry of National Education, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Labour Ministry, under the aegis of the Government of Romania and of the European Commission.
Costoiu: Romania has the highest percentage of jobless youths in Europe
During the same conference, the delegate minister for Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technological Development, Mihnea Costoiu said that Romania is the EU country with the highest percentage of youths that have no job and are included in no form of education. “At EU level, 6.8 million youths from the age category 25-29 are included in this category, meaning approximately 1 in 5 youths,” Costoiu mentioned, adding that the percentage of Romanian youths that have no job and are included in no form of education is 23 pc, above the EU average.