Erasmus+ VET Mobility

What is a VET Mobility Project?

A mobility project is where an organisation sends its learners or apprentices to another country to take part in short- or long-term works placements, or in skills competitions. Teachers, trainers and VET staff from the organisation can also travel to another country for job shadowing, teaching or courses and training. The organisation applies for funding to prepare and manage the project, and for the costs of travel and participation.

A VET mobility project is an opportunity to increase the quality of initial and continuing vocational education and training (IVET and CVET) in Europe and strengthen the European dimension of teaching and learning. This can be done in a variety of ways, so please read the VET Mobility section of the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for a comprehensive overview of mobility objectives.

Who Can Take Part in a Mobility Project?

VET providers and other VET organisations in Ireland can apply to Léargas for funding. In Ireland, a VET school, institute or centre is considered an organisation that directly delivers further education programmes–with a vocational element–at NFQ Levels 4, 5 or 6 or equivalent. These programmes typically include periods of vocational work-based learning. The programmes delivered must be full, rather than minor or special purpose award programmes. Apprenticeships at all NFQ levels are eligible for VET funding.  

Group Mobility is a new learner activity in 2024. Learners undertaking iVET full award courses or apprenticeships at levels 4, 5 and 6 are eligible to participate in group mobility. 

Download the list of VET eligible organisations for 2024.

For Staff Mobility Projects

Participants can include teachers, trainers, and all other non-teaching experts and staff working in initial vocational education and training and in continuing vocational education and training. Certain non-teaching staff can also take part. This includes staff working in initial and continuing VET, either in VET providers as management staff, international mobility officers, and so on, or in other organisations active in vocational education and training (such as trainers in local partner companies, counsellors, policy coordinators in charge of vocational education and training, and so on.).

For Learner Mobility Projects

Eligible participants include learners and apprentices in initial vocational education and training and in continuing vocational education and training. Participants must be enrolled in an eligible programme. Recent graduates (including former apprentices) of eligible programmes can take part up to 12 months after their graduation.

Other supported activities

• Organisations can apply to host ‘teachers in training’ who want to spend a traineeship period abroad.
• Organisations can also invite trainers, teachers, policy experts or other qualified professionals from abroad who can help improve the teaching, training and learning in the applicant organisation.
• Organisations can apply for a ‘preparatory visit’ to their hosting partner before the mobility takes place. This visit must be linked to the learner or staff mobility. Its purpose is to improve the inclusiveness, scope and quality of the mobility activities. Preparatory visits are not possible for staff courses or training. See the Programme Guide for full details.

What Happens on a Mobility Project?

A mobility project is supported by Erasmus+ funds and involves staff, learners or both travelling to another Erasmus+ country in a variety of capacities.

On a staff mobility, participants can take part in:

• Job shadowing for 2 to 60 days
• Teaching or training assignments for 2 to 365 days
• Courses and training for 2 to 30 days.

On a learner mobility, participants can take part in:

• Participation in skills competitions for 1 to 10 days
• Short-term learning mobility of VET learners for 10 to 89 days
• Long-term learning mobility of VET learners (ErasmusPro) for 90 to 365 days

In other supported activities

• Organisations can invite experts for 2 to 60 days
• Organisations can host teachers and educators in training for 10 to 365 days
• Organisations can set up a preparatory visit to their hosting partner before the mobility takes place.

What is the Funding for a Mobility Project?

Erasmus+ funding is available to contribute to costs in distinct categories. These categories are the same for both short-term and accredited projects. The information here gives you an idea of the funding categories available, but you must check the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for full details.

• Organisational Support – preparing and managing all phases of the project
• Travel – return travel costs from participants’ homes to the venue of the activity (for example, where they will work or attend a course)
• Individual Support – ‘subsistence’ costs of participants (for example, food and accommodation)
• Inclusion support – additional funding to enable people with fewer opportunities to take part
• Preparatory visits – covering travel and subsistence while taking part in a preparatory visit
• Course fees – for training course enrolment fees
• Linguistic support – for language learning materials and training, where needed
• Exceptional costs – Such as costs for providing a financial guarantee, if the National Agency asks for it; or expensive travel costs (for example, when a participant is travelling to or from a very remote place).

There is no set amount of funding for a VET Mobility Project. It is decided by the type of activities you apply for, and the amount of funding available. As a guideline, in 2020 projects received funding from €5,700 to €374,000. See Guide to Your Funding for budget allocations in 2021.

How Does an Organisation Get Involved?

Organisations can get involved in different ways:

• Apply for short-term projects for mobility of learners and staff
• Apply to become an accredited organisation – accredited organisations can regularly receive funding for mobility activities, that contribute to their long term, strategic goals
• Join an existing Erasmus+ mobility consortium
• Host participants from another country
• Join eTwinning – VET providers can set up joint virtual classrooms and carry out projects with other VET providers and organisations.

Application Deadline

Visit the Deadlines page for more information on Erasmus+ VET Mobility deadlines.

How Does an Organisation Find Courses and Partners?

We encourage VET providers to join eTwinning: an online community hosted on a secure platform, that is accessible to teachers verified by the eTwinning service in each country. On eTwinning, VET providers can set up joint virtual classrooms and even carry out projects with other VET providers and partner organisations (such as host companies). eTwinning is a space for teachers and trainers to discuss and exchange with colleagues, and explore professional development opportunities. eTwinning is also the perfect environment to find partners for future projects!

What Happens Next?

After the project has been planned, the organisation submits an online application.

This is the same whether it is an application for a short-term project or through Erasmus accreditation. You will need approximately six weeks to prepare your project.  If the application is successful and the project is chosen to receive Erasmus+ funding, the organisation will carry out the project. It signs a grant agreement, and submits reports to Léargas. See project lifecycle for more information. All aspects of the project must meet Erasmus quality standards. To read the full text of the Erasmus quality standards, please visit the Europa website.

Read our section on Applying For Erasmus+ Mobility for more detail on the application process.