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| Erasmus Programme students from across Europe with a European flag |
The aim of the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) is to contribute to the development of the EU into an advanced knowledge society, with sustainable economic development, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. It aims, in other words, to help meet the strategic goal of the Lisbon Agenda: for the European Union to become the “…most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world…”
The overall budget for the LLP is €6,970million. The Programme is divided into three main elements: four sectoral programmes (Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci and Grundtvig) promoting the needs of learners and teachers at different stages of their education and training; a structured Transversal Programme focussed on policy co-operation, language and information sharing; and a Programme (Jean Monnet) for improving the understanding of European integration.
The four sectoral programmes provide the main access route for most beneficiaries of the LLP. They are all premised on the idea of mobility of individuals throughout Europe, and international cooperation between educational systems and institutions. They are intended to be vehicles for personal, social and civil development, as well as contributing ultimately to the economy of Europe.
Comenius is aimed at the first stage of the education process, from pre-school through to secondary school. It aims to promote language learning and mobility across Europe by supporting partnerships, staff training projects and school networks. Comenius hopes to involve at least three million pupils in joint educational activities by 2013.
Erasmus centres on higher education and seeks to promote the creation of a European Higher Education Area, within which students and teaching staff are mobile, and courses and qualifications mutually recognised. Erasmus aims to engage three million participants in relevant activities by 2012.
Leonardo da Vinci is the programme for vocational education and training. It aims to support participation in vocational training, improve quality and increase innovation in vocational education and training (VET), and increase the attractiveness of VET for employers and individuals. By 2013, Leonardo da Vinci hopes to increase placements in enterprises to 80,000 per year.
Grundtvig addresses adult education and hopes to assist adults, particularly those without qualifications, back into an educational process. Grundtvig hopes to support the mobility of 7,000 adult learners per year by 2013.
While the four sectoral programmes are inherently about facilitating the mobility of learners and teachers, the Transversal Programme aims to support policy development in the education field. It supports education policy makers in the creation of networks and research in education; the collection and use of data on education systems; language diversity and teaching; ICT based teaching techniques; and publicises the results and lessons of the LLP.
Finally, Jean Monnet aims to promote teaching and research on European integration and to support the existence of bodies focussing on issues relating to European integration and on education and training in a European perspective.
For more information visit the European Commision's Programmes websit e 
. Alternatively, for information about the Programme in the UK, including information on how to apply for funding, go to the UK lifelong learning websit e .
