Recommendation 82

Erasmus+ is the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport.195 Between 2014 and 2018 4,846 Erasmus+ grants were awarded to UK organisations, worth around €680 million and Erasmus+ funding has supported more than 128,000 UK participants.196 The RSE Young Academy of Scotland told us about the benefits of the Erasmus+ scheme: Around 1 in 3 Erasmus+ trainees are offered a position by the company they trained in. In 2016, 1,600 Scottish staff and students visited European countries on study, training or volunteering visits, with the programme making study abroad opportunities affordable and inclusive, developing the attributes of Scottish global graduates and creating a new brand of ambassadorship. Between 2014 and 2018, Scottish participants comprised 12% of the total UK figure, with Scotland receiving 13% of total Erasmus+ funding in the UK. Less advantaged students benefit tremendously from periods abroad (1 in 3 youth mobility participants comes from a disadvantaged background) and Erasmus+ is committed to supporting widening participation in HE mobility.197