Erasmus PRO

ErasmusPro is a new action within the Erasmus+ programme to support long-duration work placements of apprentices abroad which has been approved at the Erasmus+ Programme Committee.

As in 2016 and 2017, the 2018 Programme Guide places a special focus on encouraging projects supporting social inclusion (notably of refugees and migrants), as well as preventing radicalization.

This action, included under the Key Action 1 of the programme (learning mobility), aims at facilitating and promoting 50.000 work placements from 3 to 12 months for VET students and recent graduates between 2018 and 2020. Their number needs to be added to the target of 650.000 young Europeans in vocational education and training who, under the current Erasmus+ programme for the period 2014-2020, should be enabled to benefit from a mobility grant.

The main feature introduced by Erasmus Pro, compared to the rest of Erasmus Plus mobility projects, is that short “Advance Planning Visits” (APV) of staff from sending to hosting organisations (VET providers and/or companies) may be funded in order to facilitate interinstitutional cooperation, better prepare the mobilities and ensure their high quality. In particular, a maximum of 3 working days, excluding travel time, can be funded for one staff member of the sending organisation (such as teachers, trainers, international mobility officers, etc.) to the hosting organisation.

Another interesting aspect introduced by this initiative is that long-term mobility has been included as one of the award criteria when evaluating the relevance of any kind of VET mobility project.