Lifelong Learning Programme

The European Commission has integrated its various educational and training initiatives under a single umbrella, the Lifelong Learning Programme. With a significant budget of nearly €7 billion for 2007 to 2013, the new programme replaces previous education, vocational training and e-Learning programmes, which ended in 2006.

The programme enables individuals at all stages of their lives to pursue stimulating learning opportunities across Europe. There are four sub-programmes focusing on different stages of education and training and continuing previous programmes:

• Comenius for schools
• Erasmus for higher education
• Leonardo da Vinci for vocational education and training
• Grundtvig for adult education

A transversal programme aims to ensure that they achieve the best results possible. Four key activities focus on policy co-operation, languages, information and communication technologies, effective dissemination and exploitation of project results. 

Aiming for a geographical reach beyond Europe's borders, the Jean Monnet programme stimulates teaching, reflection and debate on the European integration process at higher education institutions worldwide.

Targets

Quantified targets have been set for the four sub programmes:

• Comenius should involve at least three million pupils in joint educational activities, over the period of the programme
• Erasmus should reach the total of three million individual participants in student mobility actions since the programme began.
• Leonardo da Vinci should increase placements in enterprises to 80,000 per year by the end of the programme
• Grundtvig should support the mobility of 7,000 individuals involved in adult education per year by 2013

 

 Source: European Commission – Education&Training (http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc78_en.htm)