1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:06,889 I think it's one of the most important program because it shows to everybody 2 00:00:06,889 --> 00:00:13,849 what the integration is all about. Erasmus is this year celebrating 30 years of 3 00:00:13,849 --> 00:00:19,649 bringing people and cultures together. The program started out in 1987 when 4 00:00:19,649 --> 00:00:24,230 just over 3,000 students from 11 EU countries took part in the first 5 00:00:24,230 --> 00:00:28,789 exchanges. It has since grown to encompass vocational education and 6 00:00:28,789 --> 00:00:35,350 training, school education, adult education, youth and sports, giving 9 million people 7 00:00:35,350 --> 00:00:39,609 the chance to have a formative experience in 33 countries and beyond. 8 00:00:41,170 --> 00:00:46,630 Erasmus Plus has also been instrumental in paving the way for reform in education, training 9 00:00:46,630 --> 00:00:47,950 and youth systems. 10 00:00:50,469 --> 00:00:55,549 I remember it was the first real experience of autonomy for me. 11 00:00:56,409 --> 00:01:00,570 Erasmus Plus has been proven to have a hugely positive impact on participants. 12 00:01:01,689 --> 00:01:07,250 In higher education, it doubles the chance of participants being employed just a year after graduating. 13 00:01:08,310 --> 00:01:13,489 Whilst of those who undertake a traineeship abroad, one in three is offered a job by their host company. 14 00:01:14,150 --> 00:01:21,569 Locational education and training participants find their first job faster and earn 25% more than they would do otherwise. 15 00:01:22,530 --> 00:01:27,090 Voluntary experience abroad is considered a plus by three quarters of employers. 16 00:01:28,930 --> 00:01:32,930 But Erasmus Plus mobility does not only help with job prospects. 17 00:01:34,769 --> 00:01:39,810 It encourages social mobility with 35,000 students in higher education 18 00:01:39,810 --> 00:01:43,730 from disadvantaged backgrounds having been supported in just two years 19 00:01:44,450 --> 00:01:49,969 and 100,000 refugees to benefit from Erasmus Plus online linguistic support. 20 00:01:49,969 --> 00:01:54,969 Whilst one in three participants in youth exchanges also come from a disadvantaged background. 21 00:01:59,969 --> 00:02:04,969 Last but not least, Erasmus Plus brings people together across the EU and beyond. 22 00:02:08,370 --> 00:02:14,370 I always say that you can digitalise everything, but you cannot digitalise the experience that you're having here. 23 00:02:15,370 --> 00:02:18,370 And you learn much more than you can learn in a course or studying or reading. 24 00:02:18,370 --> 00:02:23,969 or reading. Erasmus Plus is universally renowned as the most powerful EU tool 25 00:02:23,969 --> 00:02:29,110 yet only one in 20 young Europeans actually benefit from it. High-level 26 00:02:29,110 --> 00:02:33,430 politicians across Europe are calling for a tenfold increase in Erasmus Plus 27 00:02:33,430 --> 00:02:39,069 funding. So how are we preparing for one in every three young Europeans going 28 00:02:39,069 --> 00:02:43,729 abroad with Erasmus Plus? For starters we are making the program even more 29 00:02:43,729 --> 00:02:50,050 accessible with the erasmus plus mobile app with step-by-step guidance sharing of handy tips and 30 00:02:50,050 --> 00:02:55,810 language learning all at your fingertips to best prepare the future erasmus plus program 31 00:02:55,810 --> 00:03:02,849 in collaboration with young people over 230 events in 37 countries have been planned with discussions 32 00:03:02,849 --> 00:03:08,689 continuing on the erasmus plus generation online meeting point to make sure that as many people 33 00:03:08,689 --> 00:03:13,310 contribute as possible to building the future program we have reached out to 25 34 00:03:13,310 --> 00:03:18,710 million people through social media whilst over 27,000 articles have been 35 00:03:18,710 --> 00:03:24,590 published Erasmus plus has been enriching lives and opening minds for 30 36 00:03:24,590 --> 00:03:32,750 years let's now build together the future of Erasmus plus