We need to give young people the support and opportunities they deserve, so this morning’s announcement that the UK will be joining the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme is great news.
Much has been made of figures released by the Office for National Statistics that 174,000 16 to 34-year-olds left the UK in the year to March. But it is hardly unusual for young people to want gain life experiences abroad.
The economic consequences of Brexit have been pored over for the best part of a decade. But the social and cultural consequences of the UK’s departure from the European Union generally take a back seat. On the rare occasions when these issues are debated, the voices of young people do not often feature.
Before the UK’s withdrawal, freedom of movement opened a wealth of opportunities to young people across Europe. The Erasmus scheme facilitated university exchanges as far back as 1987. But over 60 per cent of young people in the UK follow paths other than university. More recently, the scheme has evolved into Erasmus+, which promotes not only educational exchanges but also work, training and sport. Since January 2024, the UK has also been a member of Horizon Europe, the world’s largest research collaboration programme, which recently welcomed South Korea as a new member.
At last month’s Budget, the Chancellor announced funding to make training for under-25s apprenticeships completely free for small and medium sized enterprises. There will also be an increase in the minimum wage for 18-20 year olds from April 2026, to over £10 an hour for the first time. Erasmus+ will help young people from all backgrounds to gain new experiences, learn a new language and challenge themselves. We know that only 2.97% of A-Levels taken in 2024 were in languages and the percentage of Year 11 pupils studying a language for GCSE is 20% lower in poorer areas than affluent ones. Perhaps Erasmus+ can be the start of a new approach on how to promote the teaching and learning of modern languages?
We owe it to our young people and to the whole country to ensure that the UK can be a centre of excellence for education, training, research and international cooperation. Whether we are in or out of the European Union, nothing says more about who we are and our place in the world. Let’s not waste this wonderful opportunity.