Erasmus+

Erasmus+ is the EU's program to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. Its budget of €14.7 billion will provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, and gain experience abroad.

Set to last until 2020, Erasmus+ doesn't just have opportunities for students. Merging seven prior programs, it has opportunities for a wide variety of individuals and organizations. The program is made up of three so-called "Key Actions" and two additional actions. They are managed partly at the national level by National Agencies and partly at the European level by the EACEA. The European Commission is responsible for Erasmus+ policies and oversees the overall program implementation.

Erasmus+ actions managed by EACEA are listed below:

• Key Action 1: Mobility
• Key Action 2: Cooperation
• Key Action 3: Policy
• Jean Monnet
• Sport

The aim of Erasmus+ is to contribute to the Europe 2020 strategy for growth, jobs, social equity and inclusion, as well as the aims of ET2020, the EU's strategic framework for education and training.

Erasmus+ also aims to promote the sustainable development of its partners in the field of higher education, and contribute to achieving the objectives of the EU Youth Strategy.

Specific issues tackled by the program include:

• Reducing unemployment, especially among young people
• Promoting adult learning, especially for new skills and skills required by the labor market
• Encouraging young people to take part in European democracy
• Supporting innovation, cooperation and reform
• Reducing early school leaving
• Promoting cooperation and mobility with the EU's partner countries

The outcomes of Erasmus+ are available in reports and compendia of statistics, as well as through the Erasmus+ Projects Platform, which includes most of the initiatives funded by the program, as well as a selection of good practices and success stories.