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The main objective of Project CODE is to provide opportunities for a quality employment to vulnerable young people at poverty risk. The specific project objective is to develop and implement a training programme for specialized digital competences such as digital design, graphics, 3 D animation, game design for these young people that otherwise cannot afford to obtain hi-tech knowledge due to restrictions coming from their financial situation.
Referring to the beneficiaries that will be part of the project we can mention: Young people at poverty risk; Young people of working poor people that are still parents dependent; Young people in rural areas with limited access to specialized education and training; Single parent young people; Young people with physical health problems that limit their access to completing the education cycle; Orphans that are out of social protection facilities at the age of 18 without any support and possibility to continue in high education or enroll for additional out-of-school courses due to financial reasons; Minority groups young graduates;
Among the benefits of the project that young people will have we can mention:
The project`s main result is a developed and piloted training program to boost target groups` access to acquiring specialized competences for employability and self – esteem as well as providing a new perspective to learning interactions and problem solving.
All the things mentioned above (beneficiaries, activities, outputs) will contribute to a part of goals from the EU Youth Strategy such as:
Equality of All Genders - Ensure equal access to formal and non-formal education, and that the design of education systems follows gender-sensitive approaches.
Inclusive Societies - Ensure that all marginalized young people have equal access to formal and non-formal learning environments, addressing all the dimensions of inclusion.
Moving Rural Youth Forward - By 2015 almost one third of the EU population were living in rural areas, prevailing differences exist between living in urban and in rural areas. Therefore, it is important to ensure equality for young people in urban and rural settings. It is also important to ensure equal access to high quality education for young people in rural areas.
Quality Employment for All - The lack of information and suitable skills for future employment are preventing young people to be fully integrated in the labor market. Ensure equal opportunities for all young people to develop the necessary skills and gain practical experience in order to smoothen the transition from education to the labor market.
(https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2018:456:FULL)
Project “CODE – Competence Opportunities for Digital Employment” is implemented under EEA and Norway grants Fund for youth employment together with 7 partners from Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, Italy, Estonia.
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Out of 54 applications received, 17 European Universities involving 114 higher education institutions from 24 Member States were selected (see Annex), based on an evaluation carried out by 26 independent external experts, including rectors, professors and researchers, appointed by the Commission. European Universities are transnational alliances of higher education institutions from across the EU that share a long-term strategy and promote European values and identity. The initiative is designed to significantly strengthen mobility of students and staff, and foster the quality, inclusiveness and competitiveness of European higher education.
Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, said: "I am pleased to see the ambition of the first 17 European Universities, which will act as role models for others across the EU. They will enable the next generations of students to experience Europe by studying in different countries. I am convinced that this initiative, a key building block of the European Education Area, will be a real game changer for higher education in Europe, boosting excellence and inclusion.”
The selection of European Universities includes a broad range of higher education institutions from across the EU, from universities of applied sciences, technical universities and universities of fine arts to comprehensive and research-intensive universities.
European Universities will become inter-university campuses around which students, doctoral candidates, staff and researchers can move seamlessly. They will pool their expertise, platforms and resources to deliver joint curricula or modules covering various disciplines. These curricula will be very flexible and will allow students to personalise their education, choosing what, where and when to study and get a European degree. European Universities will also contribute to the sustainable economic development of the regions where they are located, as their students will work closely with companies, municipal authorities, academics and researchers to find solutions to the challenges their regions are facing.
In total, a budget of up to €85 million is available for the first 17 “European Universities”. Each alliance will receive up to €5 million in the coming three years to start implementing their plans and pave the way for other higher education institutions across the EU to follow. Their progress will be closely monitored.
This first call – together with a second one to be launched this autumn – will test different models to implement the new concept of European Universities and its potential to boost higher education. For the next long-term EU budget running from 2021-2027, the Commission proposed to fully roll out European Universities under Erasmus+, with a significantly increased budget. While some alliances are comprehensive and cover all disciplines, others are for example focusing on urban coastal sustainability, social sciences or global health. Each alliance is composed on an average of seven higher education institutions from all parts of Europe, leading to new partnerships. This reflects the distribution of applications received from the various countries.
Background
The European Commission proposed this new initiative to European Union leaders ahead of the Gothenburg Social Summit in November 2017. The initiative was endorsed by the European Council in December 2017 which called for the emergence of at least 20 European Universities by 2024 and is part of the push towards establishing a European Education Area by 2025.
Developed together with Member States, higher education institutions and student organisations, the concept of the European Universities attracted applications from 54 alliances involving more than 300 higher education institutions from 28 Member States and other Erasmus+ Programme Countries. They replied to an Erasmus+ call on “European Universities” launched in October 2018.
The €60 million originally set aside for this new Erasmus+ initiative has been increased to €85 million allowing for the funding of 17 alliances rather than the 12 initially foreseen.
For more information
European Universities Initiative
Information on the Call for Proposals
Information of the European Commission, IP/19/3389
The project CODE benefits from a 2 300 000 € grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment. The sole responsibility for the content of this website lies with the Human Resources Development Agency and under no circumstances can be assumed that it reflects the official opinion of the Fund Operator or the Donors.