Italy: 27 million euros to finance European youth mobility

Comenius is a European exchange programme, financed by the Tuscan local authority, that sends high school students to Andalucia, Cataluña and Vastra Gotaland.

By the end of the year another youth mobility programme will also be operational. Rappin, which stands for ?regional apprentices in mobility?, will send 22 apprenticesfrom Tuscan enterprises to Cataluñian companies. Cornelius and Rappin follow in the footsteps of programmes like Socrates (Roots and wings), that involves Tuscany, West Wales and the country of Vejle in Denmark, that has allowed exchanges between 120 schools in 12 European countries, involving a total of 15 thousand students and more than 1000 professors.

?We decided to focus on building a knowledge-based society? explains Gianfranco Simoncini, regional councillor for education, training and employment. ? that goes beyond the political borders that divide member states?. He goes on to explain that it is important to be open to exchanges in skills and capacities, as this contributes to the overall qualification of human resources and towards the growth of european citizenship.

?European citizenship and qualified human resources are a priority for us, and for this reason, with the new programme 2007-2013, Tuscany has decided to allocate 27 million euros to youth mobility, equal to 4% of the funds assigned to Tuscany by the Social European Fund? concludes Simoncini.