Learning abroad is an opportunity also for apprentices in Europe but only a few enjoy this possibility. Since the beginning of 2017, with the launch of Erasmus PRO and with the support of the European Parliament, cross-border long-term mobility of apprentices has become one of the European priorities in the field of VET. However, we know that this is still a niche phenomenon. What are the obstacles against it? What would make it possible on a larger scale?

At Cedefop invitation, its ReferNet partners in the EU member states, Iceland, Norway and the UK wrote a series of articles trying to address these questions and shedding light on why (long- and short-term) mobility of apprentices works or does not work in their own countries.

Check this article about France, where recent apprenticeship reforms combined with political attention to mobility make more room for a more active role of social partners in promoting and financing mobility, while recent pilot projects reveal mobility benefits and options for the future.

Check these articles about Denmark and Luxembourg, where the possibility for apprentices to learn abroad is relatively well known, it has a consolidated history and its costs and benefits are relatively clear to the stakeholders involved.

Check these articles about Austria and the Netherlands, where the legal and socio-economic framework might offer favourable preconditions to apprentices’ long-term mobility, at least in principle.

Check these articles about Finland and Portugal, where the flexibility of the apprenticeship (and VET) system, VET schools autonomy and focus on apprentices’ personal competence development interplay to create conditions favouring long-term mobility for apprentices (especially younger ones).

These are just a few examples of what ReferNet articles on long term international mobility of apprentices look into. Visit this page to learn more about why countries may be more or less prone to apprentices’ international long-term mobility.