Erasmus – nearly 270 000 students receive EU grants

European Commission

[Check Against Delivery]

Androulla VASSILIOU

Member of the European Commission for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth

Erasmus - nearly 270 000 students receive EU grants

Presentation of the Erasmus statistics 2012-13

Brussels, 10 July 2014

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We all know how popular Erasmus is so I am delighted to announce another record-breaking year for the programme. In 2012-13, nearly 270,000 students received EU grants to study or train in another European country.

That's 15,000 more than the previous year and proof of the programme's enduring popularity and success.

Over the past 27 years, Erasmus has enabled over three million students to go abroad to broaden their horizons and increase their skills.

[Statistics - students]

The opportunity to study at another university continues to be the most popular choice for students, but Erasmus job placements, in which students spend a period abroad in a workplace related to their studies, continue to grow rapidly.

The number taking up a job placement rose by over 16% from the previous year, with one in five Erasmus students now choosing this option.

[Statistics - staff]

Staff mobility is essential to improve the quality of teaching and to develop learning environments that stimulate creativity and curiosity. Since the launch of Erasmus staff mobility in 1997, over 350,000 staff exchanges have been supported by the programme. More than 52,600 staff exchanges were funded in the 2012-2013 academic year.

Staff from businesses can also receive support to teach at higher education institutions to boost links between the world of work and academia. More than 500 staff from enterprises received Erasmus support - an increase of more than 20% on the previous year and another record.

[Erasmus+]

These Erasmus statistics are encouraging news for the future. And Erasmus+, our new programme for education, training, youth and sport, will offer even more opportunities over the next seven years, thanks to an overall budget increase of 40% compared with previous programmes.

In total, it will enable 4 million people to gain international experience and skills through study, training or volunteering abroad.

With more linguistic support and greater support for individuals with special needs, from disadvantaged backgrounds and from remote areas, Erasmus+ will be even more accessible.

[Future Erasmus Impact Study]

In these times of high youth unemployment, it is crucial that we create opportunities to improve job prospects. In September, the Commission will publish, for the first time, a study on the impact of Erasmus for the employability of young people.

Erasmus has long been recognised as one of the most successful EU programmes. I am proud to have been associated with it and I am confident that, with Erasmus+, it will continue to go from strength to strength.

For any detailed questions you may have on the statistics, we have members of the Erasmus+ team with us today and they will be at your disposal afterwards. Thank you.