International exchange for Youth Workers
An international mobility for youth workers allows organisations and institutions involved in the field ofyouth to organise international seminars and networking opportunities for youth workers. The activities can take place both in Switzerland and abroad and can be organised for groups or individuals.
Overview
For whom
- Professional and voluntary youth workers from Switzerland and abroad
Duration
- 2 days to 2 months
Where
- In Switzerland with youth workers from Switzerland and one or more countries worldwide
- Worldwide abroad with youth workers from Switzerland and the host country (only possible bilaterally)
What we fund
- Financial support for organisation, travel and accommodation
- Effective costs are covered for participants with special needs
What to do
- Swiss organisations look for one or more partner organisations, plan the project together and submit a funding application
Deadlines
- Application deadlines: 5 March, 14 May and 8 October 2024
- Project start: 1 June, 1 August and 1 December 2024
In detail
If your organisation or institution is involved in the field of youth, we will support you in implementing international exchange projects with other professional or voluntary youth workers. Contribute to the qualitiy development of youth work: Youth workers enhance their personal and professional skills by visiting other organisations, planning joint training activities or participating in job shadowing. International mobilities for youth workers are aimed exclusively at qualified and/or experienced individuals who work with young people in the capacity of youth workers.
This activity is funded by the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+. This programme allows Swiss institutions to organise activities similar to the ones funded by the European education programme Erasmus+.
Requirements
For participants:
- You are a qualified and experienced person working as a youth worker supporting young people. There is no age limit.
- If you are volunteering in the field of youth, you must participate in the project outside of your other school and work commitments.
- Participants must be resident in the country of one of the organisations involved in the project.
For applicant organisations and institutions:
- Organisations or institutions in the field of youth based in Switzerland are eligible to apply.
They work according to the principles of youth work: participatory, inclusive and accessible.
To the project:
- The exchange must last at least 2 days and a maximum of 2 months. Arrival and departure days are not included.
- A maximum of 50 participants take part in the project.
- In addition to the programme days, an arrival and departure day can be financed. If more than one travel day is required for environmentally friendly travel, we will aprove this in exceptional cases.
- The project includes activities of non-formal and informal learning Find out more: Non-formal learning in the field of youth.
- The applicant organisation must present at least one foreign partner organisation in the project application.
- Projects with partner organisations from several countries can only take place in Switzerland (multilateral). Projects that take place abroad may only be funded for Swiss partner organisations and organisations and participants from the implementing country (bilateral).
Funding amounts
- Organisational lump sum for the institution: CHF 125 per person
- For the trip: international CHF 400 to CHF 1,000 per person (depending on the destination country), national CHF 50 per person
- For the stay: CHF 65 to CHF 93 per day and person (depending on destination country)
- For the specific needs of individuals with disabilities or those suffering from physical, mental, or chronic illnesses: Max. 12,000 CHF (actual costs based on the note of requirements)Insurance and any visa fees are at your expense.
You can find all contributions and calculations in detail in our grant table:
Evaluation criteria
The detailed evaluation criteria for the offers in the field of youth:
Procedure
For youth workers:
Are you interested in an international mobility for youth workers and have an idea for a project? Contact your employer or the organisation in the field of youth you are volunteering for. This organisation will submit the application.
For institutions and organisations involved in the field of youth:
International mobility for youth workers is funded by the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+.
Follow these steps to carry out your project:
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1. Develop a project idea
- Think about a project idea. This is based on our Requirements / Preconditions and evaluation criteria.
- We will be happy to provide you with individual counselling to clarify questions about planning, submission and implementation. The consultation can take place over the phone, online or on site.
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2. Find a project partner
- Find at least one suitable project partner in the field of youth based abroad.
- Activate your personal or professional environment for this purpose. You can find partner organisations, for example, via your umbrella organisations, organisations known to you through collaborators or volunteers, via the OTLAS platform or the Eurodesk information and networking portal.
- Get more information on the topic Finding partners.
- International mobilities for youth workers are generally possible worldwide, with a few exceptions. Make sure that the desired partner organisation is located in an eligible programme country.
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3. optional Arrange a preparatory visit
Would you like to meet potential project partners on site to get to know each other or jointly develop a project? Get financial support for a preparatory visit.
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4. Planning the project
- Determine a thematic focus together with the project partner. Or concentrate on the exchange of methods and working practices.
- You plan the meeting and decide on one of the non-formal and informal learning methods Non-formal learning in the field of youth.
- Good cooperation and a regular exchange with the partner organisations are key requirements / preconditions for the success of your project. To avoid misunderstandings, it is important to clearly allocate tasks and roles. You should discuss this at the beginning of the project planning and ideally also record it in writing.
- Consider environmentally friendly means of transport in the planning of your project. Find out more about green mobility.
- It is important to us to also enable persons with disabilities or with physical, mental, or chronic diseases to participate. Therefore, we provide additional funding for persons with special needs, for which you can apply in the funding application. You may also submit a request for funding for special needs at a later stage during the project duration. You can find more information Inclusion and equal opportunities.
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5. Submit project proposal
- Submit the funding application online. Keep to the Deadlines in March, May and October.
- Open the application as early as possible to familiarise yourself with the requirements. We open the application forms together with the Call, usually in December, June and August. You can save the application temporarily and continue working on it later. If you are submitting an application for the first time, you will need to register once.
- The project application must always be submitted by a Swiss organisation, even if the project takes place abroad. We pay the financial contribution in full to the applicant organisation.
- If a planning meeting is necessary at the beginning of the activity period before the actual mobility for youth workers takes place, this can also be requested. As a rule, a maximum of one person from each participating country may take part in planning meetings. The same funding amounts apply as for the other activities of the International exchange for youth workers.
- The project application must be accompanied by the statutory documents of your organisation/institution, a declaration of honour by an authorised signatory and a provisional programme of the exchange.
- Allow sufficient time for the preparation and consultation with partner organisations. After thorough preparation, you will need at least one working day to prepare the application; if there are open questions, it may take longer to complete the form and compile the materials.
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6. Contract and payout
- We review the project application with regard to fulfilment of the preconditions and the evaluation criteria and decide on the basis of this whether the project can be funded and with what funding amount.
- The evaluation lasts approx. 60 days. We will inform you by e-mail about the decision and further procedures.
- If the decision is favourable, we will send you a contract.
- The project starts at the beginning of June, August or December.
- We pay out 80% of the funding amount after the contract is signed. The final settlement is made with the final report. In certain cases, we reserve the right to apply a different payment procedure.
- The funding is paid out exclusively to institutions or organisations involved in the field of youth in Switzerland.
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7. Carry out exchange
- You decide which participants will take part in the mobility for youth workers. Advertise the project in your network and via your communication channels or inform your network about the planned project. You can also advertise your project via Eurodesk Switzerland.
- Prepare the participants for the exchange so that they can benefit as much as possible from the experience.
Implement the project in accordance with the application. Please observe this information sheet. - You can use the notification of requirements for people with special needs to apply for additional funding for participants with disabilities or physical, mental or chronic illnesses, if you have not already done so in the funding application.
- Please make sure to submit a correct and complete list of participants
- Ensure that the non-formal and informal learning outcomes of youth workers are recognised. Find out more about the recognition of competences.
- Please notify us of any changes to your project (e.g. Duration, project partners) with a special application.
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8. Submit final report
- Submit the final report including the list of participants and declaration of honour to us 60 days after the end of the project period.
- Reserve around one working day for appropriate reporting.
Depending on the number of mobilities carried out, we pay out any remaining amounts or make a reclaim.
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9. Report about the project
Other organisations and institutions can benefit from your exchange experience. Therefore, report on the exchange project via your channels, e.g. newsletter, social media, blog, etc. Make sure you mention Movetia as a funding partner. We provide the logo and text modules for this purpose.
Q & A
Can I organise a project in Germany with a partner organisation from Brazil?
No, this is not possible. A project abroad can only be funded for participants from Switzerland and participants from the host country. If you want to work with partners from several countries, the project must be carried out in Switzerland.
Can I send my application to Movetia for correction before the official evaluation?
No, we do not revise applications. However, we are happy to answer specific questions and provide support.
What is the difference between a planning meeting and a preparatory visit?
A preparatory visit must take place before the application is submitted. The purpose of this visit is for the partners to discuss a possible project together and, if necessary, take the first steps towards project development/application.
A planning meeting can be requested with the project application. This serves to ensure that the activity can be better prepared together as part of the project realisation. E.g. visit to the location (where the exchange will take place), agreement on the preparation of the participants, preparation of the information pack for the participants, etc.
I don't have a partner organisation abroad, but I know some great youth workers abroad. Can they simply take part in the project?
Only youth workers from countries where an organisation or institution is a project partner may participate, ensuring that more than just the individual participant benefits from the project. Please ask the youth workers you know if the organisation they are involved with would like to participate in the project and include them in this activity. You can also find partner organisations through your umbrella organisations, organisations known through collaborators or volunteers, or via OTLAS.
I have been involved in youth work on a voluntary basis for years. Am I a youth worker?
Yes, individuals who are actively volunteering in the field of youth are also qualified participants. There is no requirement for a professional position or formal training, but the application must describe how the desired participants are actively engaged in the field of youth over the long term and how they are connected within this field.
