Erasmus+ makes students more successful in their personal and professional lives and helps universities become more innovative. The Erasmus+ programme is proving to be a turning point in the lives of five million European students, according to two new independent studies released by the European Commission.
Promising results
Results show that the EU programme helps young Europeans better prepare for the new digital era and allows them to thrive in their future careers. Erasmus+ also boosts the innovation capacity of universities, their international engagement and their ability to meet the needs of the labour market. The large-scale studies measure and analyse the programme’s impact using feedback from nearly 77,000 students and staff and over 500 organisations.
The key findings of the studies:
- Erasmus+ helps students find their desired careers and get jobs quicker
The higher education impact study reveals that 80% of former Erasmus+ students were employed within three months of their graduation. 72% say their experience abroad helped them get their first job. Over 70% say that, after returning from their stay abroad, they have a better understanding of what they want to do with their future career. - Erasmus+ boosts Europeans’ sense of belonging
More than 90% of Erasmus+ students improve their ability to work and collaborate with people from different cultures. The programme makes them feel they have a European identity. This effect is strongest among students who felt less convinced about the EU prior to their exchange and those who spent time in a country whose culture is more unlike their own. - Erasmus+ supports digital transformation and social inclusion
Academic staff who made use of Erasmus+ are more open to involving staff from enterprises in their courses than their non-mobile peers. More than 80% of academics report that their experience abroad has led to the development of more innovative curricula. - Erasmus+ students are more satisfied with their jobs
Other findings show that former Erasmus+ students are more satisfied with their jobs, compared to those who have not gone abroad. Erasmus+ students tend to have careers that are more international in nature and they are almost twice as likely to work abroad.
About Erasmus+
Erasmus+ is an EU programme that supports education, training, youth and sports. It offers people of all ages the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience or share these with organisations and institutions in different countries. Between 2014 and 2018, more than two million students and staff in higher education undertook a learning, training or teaching period abroad as part of the Erasmus+ programme.
Sources: European Commission, Erasmus+