The Department for Education has announced that the British Council is set to take on the role of the National Agency for Erasmus+.
In December the UK and EU arrived at a political agreement that the UK would join the Erasmus+ scheme in 2027. That agreement has now been legally formalised under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Colm McGivern, Director, British Council Northern Ireland, said:
“Erasmus+ offers a major funding boost to education in Northern Ireland, opening up a multitude of international opportunities across the sector. As the National Agency for Erasmus+, we will work closely with the Department for Education, the Northern Ireland Executive and the European Commission to make the most of the opportunities of the programme for Northern Ireland.
“Erasmus+ has a proven track record in changing lives, opening up learning experiences, providing insight into cultures, and nurturing global citizenship, not only among higher education students and staff, but across non-formal education, schools, technical and vocational education and training, and sport.
“In Northern Ireland, the previous Erasmus+ programme brought valuable investment and opportunities to learners and organisations across communities. It will be of enormous benefit to people from a wide range of backgrounds, helping to build skills, confidence and international outlooks that are vital for Northern Ireland’s future.
“In the past Erasmus+ funding has contributed an additional €11M per year across the whole education sector, and we want to boost this for Northern Ireland in the future, with more of our organisations connecting internationally.”
The British Council has a longstanding commitment to supporting international exchange. It was a lead partner in the Erasmus+ UK National Agency from 2014–20, where Erasmus+ made a significant contribution to the UK’s cultural relations activities.
In Northern Ireland, Erasmus+ funding totalled approximately €66.2 million between 2014 and 2020, supporting activity across multiple sectors including vocational education and training (€26.12 million), higher education (€20.54 million), schools (€8.11 million), youth (€6.44 million) and adult education (€5.03 million).