International Learning Exchange Programme (ILEP) - 04.05.2021
International Learning Exchange Programme (ILEP)
Welsh Government has announced a new international learning exchange programme (ILEP), following the UK Government’s decision to withdraw from the Erasmus+ scheme.
ILEP has been designed to allow learners and staff, wherever they come from – who are enrolled at an organisation in Wales, to continue to benefit from international exchanges in a similar way to Erasmus+, not just in Europe but also further afield.
The new scheme – which will run from 2022 to 2026 - will be supported by an investment from Welsh Government of £65m.
During this time, it is hoped some 15,000 participants from Wales will go on overseas mobility exchanges, with 10,000 participants coming to study or work in Wales.
ILEP will be available for learners and staff at all levels in the following sectors:
- · Higher Education
- · Vocational Education and Training, including Adult Education
- · Schools
- · Youth Work
Welsh institutions will also be able to participate in the UK Government’s Turing Scheme, and they may also continue to benefit from Erasmus+ exchanges in 2021-22 deferred from last year due to the pandemic.
What happens next?
Cardiff University has agreed to take on the detailed development of the programme over the next 12 months.
The University’s role is to serve as the Programme Executive to ensure ILEP delivers across the entire education sector.
An Advisory Board will be established and include representatives of: The Welsh Government; Universities Wales; ColegauCymru; The Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services; National Training Federation Wales; Welsh Local Government Association; NUS Wales; the Welsh Youth Parliament; the Higher Education Funding Council Wales and its successor.
These organisations will take an active role in ensuring applications across all sectors are encouraged and supported and that opportunities are promoted all over Wales.
To safeguard transparency, the University has agreed to operate the programme on behalf of the Welsh Government through a wholly owned subsidiary company.
The University is currently seeking an interim Programme Director to set up and resource the programme.
The Programme Executive will have approximately 18 months from beginning work on this before mobility activities begin.
Mobility activities will begin at the start of the academic year 2022-23. There will be four full years of mobility activity. These run from academic year 2022-23 until 2025-26. Funding for an additional year will be provided for ongoing projects, final reporting, and project closure.
Further information
As part of the programme, a dedicated website will be created, with regular updates provided.
For any further enquiries, please contact: communications@cardiff.ac.uk.