Promoting the
Learning Mobility of Young People
Green Paper, July 2009
DG Education and Culture
Structure
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I. Introduction
II. Preparing for a mobility period
III. Being abroad and follow-up after return
IV. New partnership for mobility
V. Conclusions
VI. How to take part in the consultation
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I. What do we mean by
Learning Mobility (LM)?
« Transnational mobility
for the purpose of
acquiring new skills »
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I. Why is LM important?
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Strengthens employability and personal development
Can prepare for mobility in working life
Makes E&T systems more open, more European and
more international
Enhances Europe's competitiveness (Lisbon Strategy)
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Helps combat isolationism and xenophobia
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I. Why a Green Paper?
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2007: 20th anniversary of ERASMUS programme
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June 2008: High Level Expert Forum on Mobility
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July 2008: Renewed Social Agenda (“5th freedom”)
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Nov. 2008: Council requests LM for all young people
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April 2009: Leuven Conference (“20% by 2020”)
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June 2009: Employment Communication (stress on M)
Consensus on objectives, need for strategies:
Open debate with stakeholders
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I. What kind of mobility?
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M of young people in all sectors (schools, HE,
VET, volunteers, youth exchanges...)
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Organised M, linked to learning outcomes
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Mainly within Europe, but also beyond
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Not only like-to-like M, but also cross-sector M
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Primarily physical M, but virtual M can play
important role
Concentrates on young people ( around 16-35 y)
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I. Where do we stand?
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Numerous European programmes: Lifelong Learning
Programme, Marie Curie, Culture, Youth in Action,
Europe for citizens...
European tools: ECTS, ECVET, Europass, EQF, Diploma
Supplement, Youth Pass, EURAXESS...
BUT: in 2006 only 310,000 of 16-29 y olds profited
from EU programmes (= 0.3%)
Clearly much more could be done to boost LM
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II. Information and Guidance
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Funding opportunities (EU, national, regional...)
Learning opportunities (portals like PLOTEUS,
study in Europe, etc.)
Practical guidance on housing, living costs, etc.
Q:
How can the availability of info and
guidance be improved?
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II. Promotion and Motivation
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Various factors can prevent LM: time pressure to
finish E&T programme, jobs, lack of funding,
lack of linguistic skills, etc.
Need for guaranteed positive outcome of LM,
mainly in form of recognition
Q:
How can young people be better informed
about benefits of LM?
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II. Languages and Culture
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Two key competences to be acquired through LM:
foreign languages and intercultural skills
Barcelona objective 2002:
mother tongue + 2 languages for all
Linguistic obstacles to LM prevail
Q: How can these obstacles best be addressed?
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II. Legal issues
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Legal status of young people undertaking LM is not
always clear (e.g. for young professionals)
Legal regulations in some MS inhibit LM, especially
in schools and VET
Unclear status of doctoral students/young
researchers: students or employees?
Q:
What are the main legal obstacles to LM?
How can they be overcome?
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II. Portability of grants and
loans
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Social benefits and loans from home country are not
always portable, often in contravention of
Community law.
Guidance to public authorities and stakeholders in
MS on the existing case law might be helpful
Q:
What obstacles have you encountered regarding
the portability of grants and loans?
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II. Mobility to and
from the EU
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EU Directives on visa for students and
researchers facilitate incoming M
Visa problems exist in with regard to volunteers,
pupil exchange and unremunerated training
Q:
What more should be done to promote
mobility to and from the EU?
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II. Preparing the stay abroad
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LM needs to be of high quality, therefore:
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Careful and transparent selection procedures
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Careful matching with host instititution/ organisation
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Good linguistic preparation
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Stay abroad should fit into personal learning path
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European Quality Charter for M can help
Q: What measures can be taken to ensure the high
quality of the stay abroad?
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II. Reaching out to
disadvantaged groups
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Economically or socially disadvantaged, people with
special needs, underprivileged migrants
Advantages of LM apply to them in particular: coping
with globalisation, increased competitiveness, social
cohesion
LLP, Erasmus Mundus and Youth in Action provide
specific support – to be widened to other programmes
Q: What are the most important difficulties in this area
and how can they be overcome?
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III. Mentoring and
Integration
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The host institution/organisation should provide
mentoring and integration schemes to help the
mobile person to settle into the new
surroundings
Q: Can you give examples of good practice?
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III. Recognition and
Validation
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Bologna Process, Copenhagen Process and
European Research Area have improved
conditions for educational recognition
European tools: ECTS, EVET, EQF, etc.
In the spirit of LLL, also non-formal and informal
learning should be validated
Q:
Is the validation and recognition of learning
still an obstacle to LM?
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IV. New partnership for M:
Mobilising Actors and Resources
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Extending opportunites for LM requires concerted
action of all players: public authorities, civil society,
business
Cooperation should be strengthened, among
regions, schools and universities, NGOs, ...
Various EU sources for funding of LM exist, but a
much broader basis is needed
Q:
How can all actors be better mobilised in the
interest of LM?
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IV. More active involvement
from the business world
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Internships, research programmes and collaborative
projects with businesses should be encouraged in all
disciplines and sectors
Businesses can also contribute to the funding of LM
LM of young entrepreneurs enhances internationalisation and competitiveness of Europe's businesses
Q:
How can businesses be motivated to be more
strongly involved in LM?
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IV. Virtual Networking and
eTwinning
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Use of ITCs can help young people to prepare a stay
abroad and to keep in touch afterwards
It can also provide an international dimension to the
non-mobile learners
Virtual networking/eTwinning can help interactive
communities, interested individuals, etc. to improve
the quality of LM and make it more sustainable
Q:
How can we best make use of ICTs to enrich
physical mobility?
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IV. Engaging the Multipliers
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Teachers, trainers and youth wokers who have been
mobile themselves can be important motivators
But being mobile oneself and helping young people
to become mobile requires considerable commitment
which needs to be recognised
Language teachers and formerly mobile people
(alumni etc.) are also important groups of multipliers
Q:
What are the main obstacles to a stronger
engagement of teachers and trainers in
promoting LM?
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IV. Mobility Targets
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Targets can be useful tools in motivating
stakeholders to reach new objectives
Leuven Conference (Aptil 09, Bologna Process)
set the target of 20% of HE graduates to have a
mobility experience by 2020
Q:
Do you consider targets useful in defining a
mobility strategy, and if so, at what level
(European, national, regional, institutional)?
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V. Conclusions
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The Commission calls upon all stakeholders, from
governments to individuals, to support its efforts to
make LM the rule rather than the exception
Many issues imply action at national, regional and
institutional level, plus the active involvement of civil
society, business and other stakeholders
The Commission will carefully evaluate the feedback to
the consultation and prepare a proposal for the
practical follow-up
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How to take part
in the consultation?
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Responses by interested parties via mail or to
EAC-GREEN-PAPER-MOBILITY@ec.europa.eu
Online multiple-choice questionnaire, tailored to the
wider public:
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/consult/
Consultation open until 15 December 2009 –
in 2010 the Commission will provide proposals for
follow-up