Beyond Erasmus: Guiding Students Toward Study, Work, and Volunteering Opportunities Across Europe

Description

Across Europe, there are nowadays countless programmes and initiatives that provide young people with opportunities to study, train, work, volunteer, or even start entrepreneurial projects abroad.

However, many schools still limit international guidance to Erasmus+ alone. This course goal is to equip teachers, career counsellors, and school leaders with the knowledge and tools to provide their students with comprehensive guidance on these resources.

Participants will explore a wide range of EU-funded opportunities and platforms that connect young people, making it possible for them to study, work, and gain some professional experience in other European countries.

This knowledge will multiply students’ employability and curricular success opportunities, unleashing their unlimited learning potential.

During this course, participants will learn how to integrate international orientation into their daily school practice, with the result in not only making learning more attractive but also making the school a benchmark in global guidance for international careers.

Thanks to the practical workshops and interactive activities offered throughout the course, participants will discover how to guide students through real European resources – from scholarship and internships to volunteering, entrepreneurship, and employability programmes.

The basis of this orientation course is learning through practical tools, as experiential learning is presented as a powerful tool that can enrich both teachers and students in their educational journey.

Instead of passively absorbing information, participants will immerse themselves in active participation and teamwork, exploring funding sources, mapping European opportunities (in addition to Erasmus+), and designing guidance strategies that can be implemented in their own schools.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to provide students with up-to-date, concrete information about a vast range of European opportunities and resources and design engaging guidance sessions and tools for students’ international orientation.

They will be able to give their schools a more international dimension and make them recognised centres of European opportunity and lifelong learning.

Concept by Enrique Gallardo

Learning outcomes

The course will help participants to:

• Understand the main Erasmus+ funding opportunities for specific mobility initiatives for students;
• Discover other European programs that involve mobility: European Solidarity Corps, Horizon, etc;
• Learn where to find (with verified tools and platforms) scholarships and resources for studying, working, internships, volunteering, and entrepreneurship for students;
• Provide information about potential mobility barriers, such as legal, financial, and logistical aspects (residency, permits, contracts, etc.);
• Provide information about accommodation resources in Europe and other practical aspects of living abroad (insurance, travel, discounts, cost of living, etc.);
• Enhance students’ employability by supporting them in creating strong CVs and preparing for international experiences.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the course

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools.

Exploring European opportunities

• Preliminary concepts: residency, permits, reference pages;
• Overview of European mobility and learning opportunities for youth;
• Understanding the main EU programmes: Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps (ESC), and other European initiatives;
• Mapping existing resources and platforms for studying, training, and working abroad.

Day 2 – Working in Europe

• Employment and internship opportunities across Europe;
• Public and private employment resources;
• Understanding legal and practical aspects: residence, permits, and contracts;
• Workshop: identifying labour market trends and sector-specific demands;
• Group activity: matching student profiles with real European opportunities.

Day 3 – Volunteering in Europe

• Volunteering as a bridge to employability and personal growth;
• European Solidarity Corps and other European volunteering networks;
• Case studies: best practices in youth volunteering and civic engagement;
• Group activity: designing a short volunteering experience for students.

Day 4 – Living in another country

• Before you leave: practical steps, documentation, and travel logistics;
• Living abroad: accommodation, insurance, and cost of living;
• Financial support and student discounts across Europe;
• Entrepreneurship opportunities: Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs and local youth initiatives;
• Workshop: preparing a basic “mobility checklist” for students.

Day 5 – Action plan

• Strategies to strengthen students’ CVs and digital portfolios;
• Workshop: creating a European CV and cover letter (Europass, Canva);
• Online tools for career development and networking.
• Group activity: building an “Action Plan for European Guidance” to implement at school.
• Reflection and peer feedback.

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.

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