During the ministerial conference held under the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Erasmus+ programme, the European ministers notably demonstrated their commitment to strengthening partnerships between Member States to foster the European mobility of young trainees.

Every year, Erasmus+ enables thousands of European students to continue their training or studies in another EU country. Since 1987, more than 10 million Europeans have studied abroad thanks to this programme. Apprentices, however, whether under apprenticeship contracts or professional training contracts, currently represent only 8% of participants in the Erasmus+ programme.

In line with the Porto declaration of May 2021, the task at hand is now ensuring that these young apprentices benefit more from Erasmus+.
Apprenticeships are a path to excellence and a critical lever to combat youth unemployment. Furthermore, European mobility offers the opportunity for young people to develop new professional skills and expertise, by opening a gateway to another way of learning and doing. It thus represents an additional asset to boost their employability: 86% of those that took part in the Erasmus+ programme found that their employability increased following their training abroad.

Lastly, increasing mobility for apprenticeships contributes to the aim of making a European experience a possibility for all young people on all learning paths, as well as strengthening their sense of belonging to Europe.

Measures to develop Erasmus for apprentices
To strengthen European mobility for apprentices, the ministers agreed to reinforce partnerships between Member States in order to develop European networks and make it easier for apprentices to choose to learn abroad.
Discussions also covered the schemes and measures to support mobility in different training and learning programmes. To this end, the European Commission presented its ideas on how these measures can evolve in order for apprentice mobility to grow.

Lastly, the ministers discussed how to better spread information about the proposed schemes. In this respect, Élisabeth Borne announced the creation of a webpage dedicated to Europe, on 1jeune1solution.gouv.fr, the website for youth employment in France. This page will offer mobility opportunities to young French people in their training pathways or job searches. Portals to look for a job and to look for an internship will therefore redirect them towards European search motors and offers. Portals for young people looking for a mission in Europe or wishing to complete part of their training in Europe will also be available, and allow for different types of experiences in Europe to be presented.

Employment and youth are at the heart of considerations of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU. We must work to make Erasmus more accessible to all young people, regardless of their training pathways. This is one of our goals to develop skills among our young people and introduce them to new competencies and new methods of learning. It is also a way for us to deepen the sense of belonging to Europe and thus contribute towards building the new generation of Europeans.
— Elisabeth Borne, Minister of Labour, Employment and Economic Inclusion

Today, more and more students are able to benefit from European mobility. Apprentices must be offered the same possibilities of training abroad in Europe especially because the funding is available. Mobility enriches young people’s learning and adds value to it. The Commission, working closely with the Member States, aims to facilitate mobility for young apprentices in order for them to develop new skills.
— Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights