- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Background
The government has high ambitions for Norwegian participation in Erasmus+ and the European Education Area. To support this, is a strategy with four goals for 2021-27 for Norwegian participation in European education, training, youth and sports cooperation.
The strategy is intended to strengthen and improve all Norwegian participation in Erasmus+ and the European Education Area, VET included.
Objectives
The strategy views Norwegian participation in Erasmus+ and the European Education Area as crucial for increasing the quality and relevance of education, and believes that this contributes to solving major societal challenges related to inclusion, diversity, digital and green transformation. The government is aiming at wider participation in Erasmus+, so Norway can make full use of the opportunities offered by the programme.
The government has set the following goals for participation:
- to contribute to solving major societal challenges;
- to strengthen the interaction between education, training and working and social life;
- to give more people the opportunity to participate in an international learning environment;
- to contribute to the development of policy and framework conditions.
The government has also defined several quantitative targets for participation in European cooperation under Erasmus+ during 2021-27. The Erasmus+ benchmarks are more than doubled from the previous programme period. The quantitative targets will be assessed in the middle of the period.
Description
The strategy is focused on strengthening and improving Norwegian participation in Erasmus+ and the European Education Area, in order to provide more learners, youths and students, teachers and staff with opportunities for intercultural learning and exchange in Europe. The quality of education and training is to be further developed through international cooperation.
The government also wants more Norwegian interests to be able to cooperate with the best environments in Europe in order to solve common societal challenges related to areas such as digitisation, active learning, dropout and exclusion, climate and environment, citizenship, and violent extremism.
The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) and the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir) are the national agencies for Erasmus+ and have a key role in mobilising participation and implementing the programme.
The strategy is to be carried out from 2021 to 2027. It was published on 24 June 2021 by the Ministry of Education and Research.
The strategy was in implementation.
The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills monitored developments in mobility.
|
| 2022 | 2023 | ||||
|
| Applied for | Accepted | Completed* | Applied for | Accepted | Completed* |
| Students | 1 540 | 1 389 | 1 724 | 3 502 | 1 780 | 1 237 |
| Apprentices | 219 | 148 | 161 | 302 | 126 | 169 |
| Teachers / instructors | 816 | 658 | 542 | 1 592 | 706 | 349 |
Counted 23.8.2024
*The reason why the number of completed is higher than accepted is reallocated funds. Project owners are allowed to reallocate from other categories. In this case, many choose to send fewer instructors/teachers to fund more students / apprentices.
The Directorate planned six activities (for example information meetings, application writing courses, experience sharing meetings) during the autumn 2024 with internationalisation as main theme.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education and Research (KD)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Adult learners
Education professionals
- Teachers
- Trainers
- School leaders
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Thematic categories
European and international dimensions of VET
This thematic category covers both European and international cooperation in initial and continuing VET, aimed at promoting EU VET systems as a European education and training area and making it a reference for learners in neighbouring countries and across the globe.
Expanding opportunities and increasing participation of VET learners, young and adult, and staff in international mobility for learning and work, including apprenticeship and virtual and blended mobility, account for most initiatives in this thematic category.
Apart from established and financially supported EU cooperation, VET opens up to cooperation and promotion of European values and national practices beyond the EU, which is becoming a trend. This thematic category also encompasses internationalisation strategies, transnational cooperation projects and initiatives – including those where joint VET programmes, examinations and qualifications are developed – and participation in international skills competitions that promote the image of VET. Using international qualifications – awarded by legally established international bodies or by a national body acting on behalf of an international body – in the national VET systems and recognising them towards national qualifications is also in focus.
This thematic sub-category refers to developing internationalisation strategies supporting a strategic approach to international cooperation in VET and lifelong learning, including going beyond the EU.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing opportunities for, implementing and increasing rates of, learning mobility of VET and adult learners and staff, including virtual mobility, apprenticeship placements, long-duration mobility and mobility to third countries, in line with national regulations, collective agreements and health and safety provisions. It also includes the provision of information about mobility, support structures and tools, strengthening the quality of mobility experiences and recognition of learning outcomes acquired abroad, including with the use of relevant EU tools, e.g. memoranda of understanding or learning agreements (ECVET elements).
European priorities in VET
Osnabrück Declaration
- European Education and Training Area and international VET
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Strategy for Norwegian participation in Erasmus+ and the European Education Area: Norway. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/41597