International Learning Exchange programme
On 21 March 2021 the Welsh Government announced a new international learning exchange programme to enable learners and staff both from Wales and those who come to study or work in Wales to continue to benefit from international exchanges in a similar way to the opportunities that flowed from Erasmus+.
The new scheme will run from 2022-26 with an investment of £65m from the Welsh Government and it aims to enable 15,000 participants from Wales to go on overseas mobility exchanges and enable 10,000 participants to come to study or work in Wales. The programme will provide funding to enable students, staff and learners across universities, further education, vocational education and training, adult education, youth work settings and schools to undertake a period of structured learning or work experience overseas as well as enabling strategic partnerships.
A fundamental principle of the programme will be reciprocity. Where necessary, the programme will fund costs related to the inward mobility of learners, teachers and young people from partner organisations abroad. This will enable existing partnerships which have been built up under Erasmus+ to continue and help to create new ones.
Welsh institutions will be able to participate in the UK Government's Turing Scheme in 2021/22 and will also continue to benefit from Erasmus+ exchanges deferred from last year due to the pandemic. The new programme will come into operation in 2022 after a period of development involving stakeholders from the education and youth sectors and will be co-ordinated by Cardiff University.
The Ministerial Statement launching the new programme can be found through this link.
If you have any comments or queries about the new programme please do contact WHEB and we look forward to sharing more information on the programme over the next year.