Students at IUA member universities can study or intern abroad for credit under the Erasmus+ programme. The benefits of undertaking such a mobility include;
Improved career and employment opportunities: several recent studies have highlighted how the skills developed while studying abroad are transferrable to the workplace, such as confidence, communication skills and cultural awareness, and give graduates a competitive advantage when seeking employment. Research conducted by the European Commission (EC) for example found that former Erasmus+ students were less than half as likely to be unemployed than non-mobile students and that mobile students experience significant progression within their careers. In Ireland, 82% of students who participated in Erasmus+ equate their experience with the development of labour market skills.
Higher education performance: mobile students are more likely to attain enhanced academic results and improved academic performance.
Personal development: students rate study abroad and work placement as having a significant impact on their personal development.
The development of language skills: research from the Eurydice Network indicates that the development of language skills has significant implications for the future employment of students. Former Erasmus+ students feel three times as strong in foreign language proficiency than former non-mobile students”.