On 14th and 15th of March, all German-speaking National Agencies for Erasmus+ held the Forum "Inclusion and Education" in Vienna.
The promotion of equality and inclusion is a central concern of the EU programme Erasmus+. What support structures are needed to facilitate people's access to existing services? What experience and expertise exist already? The EU programme Erasmus+ provides new possibilities for cooperation: What synergies could arise from this? How can the different actors interact while striving for inclusion?
Seven workshops tried to answer these questions in different sub-topics. The YES Forum participated in the workshop 'Participation and Involvement' and 'Erasmus+ for all: Access to education for disadvantaged young people'. Annett Wiedermann, director of the YES Forum, hosted a presentation about the structural obstacles the organisations active in the field of youth social work are facing. ‘Do more with less’ is a reality for organisations in the field of youth work and services. Only if Member States provide appropriate financial support for organisations in the youth field, Erasmus+ can become a real success.
All of the 300 participants agreed that inclusion is a task which cannot be accomplished in a rush but is also the most important one the EU is currently facing. Providing sufficient financial support and easy administration, the Erasmus+ programme could really help the organisations make a difference in the lives of young people facing various and multiple disadvantages. The YES Forum welcomes the idea of a close cooperation between National Agencies and hopes that events such as this one will be recurrent in the future.