Europe 2020 Strategy – Increase of Student Mobility ****************************************************************************************** * Europe 2020 Strategy – Increase of Student Mobility ****************************************************************************************** With levels of youth unemployment in Europe reaching as high as 23% in 2012 , a key part o [ URL "http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/"] development strategy is youth working. The 10 year plan to improve Europe’s economy aims towards “smart, inclusive growth” in five key areas; Employment; Research and development; Climate change; Education social justice. The initiative directly involved with increasing youth employment is “Yout a  strategy facing an uphill battle to tackle youth unemployment which in some regions rea 56% in 2012. But what part with higher education play in this fight? The “Youth on the Move [ URL "http://ec.europa.eu/youthonthemove/"] ” (further YOTM) strat ambitions for higher education in Europe. To make the EU workforce more competitive in a g and what they call “knowledge-based economy” YOTM aims to see 40% of 30-34 year olds havin form of tertiary education by 2020. Graduates with ICT (Information and communications tec language skills must be produced, and the knowledge triangle of “education, research and i must be strengthened. We need graduates that are mobile and flexible, and able to take adv opportunities all over Europe, not only in their home countries. It all sounds very dynami and impressive, and to the layman, perhaps a little abstract. A “flexible graduate“ simply student with an aptitude for gymnastics. What does it all actually mean, in real terms, an mean for EU citizens? The answer to this question may hide within a program that many of us are already on quite with: Erasmus. The next seven years (2014-2020) will see the program expanding like a fres By 2020 the EU hopes to increase the number of students studying or doing a work placement 380,000 per annum to 5 million, a massive 20% of all graduates in the European Higher Educ Young people who travel as part of their education are more likely to be mobile when looki studying abroad furnishes them with many skills that make the transition to working in a f easier - language skills, life experience, the ability to adapt, greater cultural awarenes worldliness. The EU will be pumping a further 19 billion euros into the program, and part to develop an European Student Loan Guarantee Facility for masters students, a Youth on Th and European skills passports amongst other initiatives aimed at making studying abroad ea accessible. Some however have expressed concern with the European Students Union suggesting in a 2012 European Students Loan Guarantee Facility may facilitate a brain drain between unequal reg They also do not believe that the Facility goes far enough in dealing with the “structural against young people in the labour market“ that stops them finding work regardless of whet a masters degree or not. The Commission however seems confident that increasing mobility i the answer and an “Important way in which young people can strengthen their future employa Commission Communication on Youth on the Move initiative). However, these developments wil unless they come hand in hand with increased employment opportunities for graduates, oppor be created by other YOTM initiatives such as “Your first EURES job” and the European Vacan at bridging the gap between international study and the workplace. It remains to be seen w young initiatives can match the success of the Erasmus program. All that can be said is th remember for 2020 will be mobility, mobility, mobility! Elan Grug Muse is in her second year studying for a BA Prague. She is interested in international politics, mu skills. (According to EU statistics)