The Covid-19 pandemic does not stop Erasmus+, the European project that allows you to study or do an internship abroad which every year involves thousands of girls and boys across the continent. After the hiatus of the last few months, Erasmus+ restarts in Italy with 55 million euros intended to finance vocational education and training (VET - Vocational Education and Training) projects.
An opportunity that comes in a socio-economic context characterized by almost 6 million young Europeans unemployed. At the same time, however, there are over 2 million job vacancies and a third of employers report difficulties in hiring staff with the required qualifications. Erasmus + "is designed precisely to give concrete answers to these problems, counteracting the phenomenon of skill mismatch, that misalignment of skills which is unfortunately very present in our country” underlines Inapp, responsible in Italy for the Education and Vocational Training sector of the programme, in a note.
"This year INAPP has approved 126 mobility projects abroad – recalled Prof. Sebastiano Fadda, president of the Inapp - ranging from the circular economy, to smart mobility, from information technology with the development of 3D technology, to agrifood without forgetting tourism for the development of skills and access to local cultural heritage, in addition to projects to innovate the third sector and promote employment and inclusion".
For 2020, the program will finance strategic partnership projects for the preparation for digital education and for creativity. Around €2,7 million will be available to support projects to equip vocational education and training systems “with the necessary tools to address the challenges posed by the recent sudden transition to online and distance learning, including by helping teachers develop skills digital and safeguarding the inclusive nature of learning opportunities”, underlines the body. The deadline for sending applications is 29 October at 12.00.
The Inapp also provides some interesting numbers that make it clear how widespread and appreciated the Erasmus+ project is by now: from 2014 to date, the Erasmus+ National Agency INAPP has received a total of 4.182 projects, 2.636 of individual mobility for learning purposes (of which 732 financed) and 1.546 of strategic partnerships (of which 230 financed). Significant was the investment of the European Commission and the EU Member States which made available to Italy, in the period 2014-2020, an Erasmus+ financial envelope of around 300 million euros for education and vocational training.
"Mobility, digital skills and inclusion will also continue to represent the heart of the future 2021-2027 Program - concluded the president of INAPP - which confirms its ambition to be a forerunner of change, supporting the digital transition in European education and training , helping to build the European Education Area, with an even more inclusive, accessible and sustainable approach”.
Finally, it should be remembered that dThe #ErasmusDays will be held from 15 to 17 October, designed to provide useful information on the activities related to the program and on how to participate. Among the various initiatives planned, a webinar will be organized on the morning of 15 October with the participation of sector experts together with students from the Istituto Nebbia di Loreto and the Essenia Consortium, two realities taken as models to tell the professionalizing experience of European mobility Erasmus+.
