Our main key goals when applying for this project were: - To provide the opportunity for local young people (students, recent graduate and unemployed) to improve linguistically/culturally abroad - To highlight Erasmus/ErasmusPlus and its ability to develop and enhance soft skills, work skills, knowledge and leadership competencies in an international and global market - To promote and implement Erasmus’ Best Practice principals - To motivate our target audience to travel, become culturally aware, open minded and encourage continual learning and up-skilling - To limit the negative impact of Brexit on young people in Northern Ireland in relation to experiencing work and learning environments in other European destinations - To further enhance and strengthen our relationship with our Partner Organizations and to also learn and exchange good practices in relationship to mobility projects. Our original aim was to send 120 participants over a 2-year period. This period was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We applied for this project as we felt strongly that our local area – Derry City and surrounding regions in Northern Ireland could greatly benefit from the opportunity of developing further competences, linguistic capabilities and cultural awareness in a global context. Northern Ireland is one of the most economically deprived areas of the UK and in addition with the negative impact of Brexit, we felt that this project could continue to give young people from this region the chance to live and work abroad and open their minds, gain confidence and “think more European” and enhance European citizenship We also had completed a successful #ETC1 project and we wanted to follow on from that but to also not only include recent graduates but also unemployed and people with fewer opportunities in this project application as we strongly felt they could benefit from the aims and goals of the project.