Erasmus+ funding rates increase by twelve percent

Erasmus+ Fördersätze für Erasmus+ steigen um zwölf Prozent 

Today Maria Wenger, Austria’s 10,000th Erasmus+ apprentice, was seen off in the presence of the minister for education, Martin Polaschek. The official farewell ceremony on the occasion of the start of her stay abroad took place at the apprentice's training company, Siemens AG Austria, in the presence of the OeAD’s managing director Jakob Calice, Siemens AG Austria’s CEO Wolfgang Hesoun, and Mariana Kühnel, deputy secretary general of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.
Like all those who have gained expertise and experienced working life abroad before, Maria Wenger as Erasmus+ apprentice will return home with international work experience, enhanced language skills and increased flexibility. For her a stay abroad is a great benefit for her further career and personality. For her home company it means having to manage without their apprentice for a few weeks but the big plus of the expertise gain, the expanded wealth of experience and, above all, the professional skills she brings back with her is an added value for the company.
"The EU programme Erasmus+ strengthens the local skilled workers and through them also our companies. The stays abroad as well as the results from the Erasmus+ projects enrich the Austrian education and working world," emphasises education minister Martin Polaschek. "Despite the Covid 19 pandemic a total of around 850 new apprenticeship placements were approved in 2021 and 2022 and fortunately there is an upwards trend again in this area. The goal is that by the end of 2027 2,000 Erasmus+ apprentices per year will be able to learn and work abroad. An incentive that should also encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in Erasmus+: Erasmus+ funding rates have been increased by twelve per cent in the 2023 application round, which is more than the inflation rate."
Jakob Calice, the OeAD’s managing director, says: "Erasmus+ interns come from many apprenticeship backgrounds, most commonly retail and tourism but also a variety of skilled trades and application development. I wish to congratulate Maria Wenger on her courage to do an internship abroad." Apprentice Maria Wenger is an application developer and trainee at the Dual Academy. She will be going to the Siemens Software Hub in Prague. "With its 'Apprenticeship without borders' campaign the OeAD supports apprentices and their companies in all matters relating to a stay abroad. Because there are still significantly fewer apprentices completing a stay abroad than pupils or students."
"The combination of international job experience and new language skills enriches the Austrian working world and creates added value both for the companies and for the apprentices themselves. Thus, participation in Erasmus+ is a real springboard towards more internationality and an enabler of one's professional career. At the same time our apprentices are the best ambassadors abroad for our excellent and modern dual training," says Mariana Kühnel, deputy secretary general of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce: "10,000 Austrian apprentices have completed a stay abroad through Erasmus+: This is an upgrade of apprenticeship training and a powerful turbo for the economy. Our goal is to increase this number even further and, in particular, to enable apprentices from small and medium-sized enterprises to experience this change of perspective via an internship abroad."
Siemens AG Austria’s CEO, Wolfgang Hesoun, points out: "Siemens is a globally active company and accordingly we work in international teams. Therefore soft skills such as intercultural skills and the ability to work in a team play a big part. The courage to go abroad for some time is rewarded by personal and professional development. I want to encourage young people to take advantage of opportunities such as the Erasmus+ programme and benefit from these experiences for the rest of their lives."
About Erasmus+ and the apprenticeship campaign "Apprenticeship without borders"
In Austria the OeAD is the national agency responsible for the implementation of Erasmus+ on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and the European Commission. Since 1995 the EU programmes Erasmus+ and its predecessors have enabled stays abroad for apprentices, pupils at vocational schools and skilled workers. Since the programme period 2021–2027 stays abroad within vocational education and training have also been possible worldwide under certain conditions. In 2020 more than 1,000 apprenticeship placements were approved for the first time that were planned before Covid-19. In the Erasmus+ programme period 2021 to 2027 the annual number of apprentices from Austria going abroad with Erasmus+ is expected to double. The OeAD, as the national agency for Erasmus+, has therefore launched the Instagram campaign "Apprenticeship without borders" in cooperation with the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. The campaign aims to encourage apprentices to take the first step towards broadening their horizons and embarking on the Erasmus+ adventure. In the new programme generation Erasmus+ 2021–2027 the vocational education and training sector is additionally strengthened by an international dimension: under certain conditions funded stays abroad are now possible worldwide.
Campaign information: www.lehreohnegrenzen.at
Social media kit: www.lehreohnegrenzen.at/mediakit
Information about Erasmus+ vocational education and training:https://berufsbildung.erasmusplus.at
Photos of the farewell event: https://www.apa-fotoservice.at
 
 Enquiries and Contact:
OeAD – Agency for Education and Internationalisation
Mag. Ursula Hilmar
+43 1 53408-270
presse@oead.at
www.oead.at
Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
 Peter Stöckl, BA
 Spokesperson of the Federal Minister
 +43 1 53120-5026
 peter.stoeckl@bmbwf.gv.at
 www.bmbwf.gv.at