Fresh wind for European exchange

Movetia is initiating the 2021 call for proposals for European mobility projects in the fields of school/adult education, vocational training and youth work. While the accustomed support for Youth in Action is being continued, numerous changes will be expanding the offer for mobility projects on the other educational levels. The Swiss Programme for Erasmus+ will be adopting familiar changes from the European programme Erasmus+, thus ensuring compatibility with its offers. The application period is open from now til 11 February (Youth in Action) or 1 March 2021 (school, vocational and adult education).

What has long proved its worth in Youth in Action with three deadlines, will be introduced in school/adult education and vocational training: there are now two deadlines per year for submitting a project application. The current call for projects lasts until 1 March 2021 (for Youth in Action the deadline is 11 February) and will support projects scheduled to start from June 2021. The second application period is then open from June to autumn 2021 for projects starting in January 2022. This change allows the project organisers to be more flexible in their planning.

With regard to funding activities, the 2021 call for projects also presents some attractive changes. For school/adult education and vocational training, Movetia is supporting the possibility of inviting experts from Europe (for up to 30 days) in order to provide courses and further training for the applying institution. In addition, in the areas of school and adult education, fixed organisational rates for incoming mobility will be granted. This takes into account the time and administrative effort required to organise the stay of guests and host institutions in Switzerland.

The ground-breaking change in the field of school education is the promotion of student mobility. Group mobility (max. 30 days) or individual mobility (up to 365 days) can be applied for within the framework of an exchange project. In the case of groups, this also includes accompanying persons; in addition, the preparatory organisational work is compensated by further flat rates. This new support activity helps to strengthen contacts between schools and foster long-term exchanges.

The additional promotional activities favour cooperation between Swiss and European institutions and pave the way for new exchange projects. Even though Switzerland is currently not associated with Erasmus+ – reassociation is on the political agenda – and the official starting shot for the Erasmus+ Generation 2021-2027 has not yet been fired, the Swiss Programme follows the lines of approach already known.

In January 2021, the call for projects for mobility at tertiary level and cooperations at all levels of education is expected to be announced.