
Figures
released reveal that more than 3 million students have benefitted from EU
Erasmus grants since the exchange scheme's launch in 1987. The statistics,
covering the 2011-2012 academic year, show that more than 250 000 Erasmus
students – a new record – spent part of their higher education studies abroad
or took up a job placement with a foreign company to boost their employability.
33 countries participate in the Erasmus scheme: EU Member States, Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.
Androulla
Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and
Youth, said: "The latest record figures are testament to the enduring
success and popularity of the programme. Erasmus is more important than ever in
times of economic hardship and high youth unemployment: the skills and
international experience gained by Erasmus students make them more employable.
Looking to the future, I'm delighted that our new Erasmus+ programme will
enable 4 million young people to study, train, teach or volunteer abroad in the
next seven years."