The Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education (SEPIE), attached to the Ministry of Universities, is the National Agency designated by the European Commission for the management of the decentralized actions of the Erasmus+ programme in the fields of education and training in Spain.

Erasmus+ is an integrated program with 3 Key Actions that offers opportunities for all people and in all educational sectors (School Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Adult Education). There are opportunities for students, as well as for teaching and non-teaching staff, both for mobility for studies and /or internships in the case of students, as well as for teaching or training in the case of teaching and administration staff and services.

In addition, the Erasmus+ programme offers specific support to participants in the target inclusion group (special needs, refugees, people with fewer resources).

The countries participating in this programme are the EU Member States, the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Turkey. In the same vein, Erasmus+ incorporates a strong international dimension, i.e. collaboration with partner countries around the world in the field of higher education, so mobility in higher education can be realized not only within Europe, but also in any country in the world since 2015.

At sePIE National Agency, www.sepie.es, European funds for the decentralized actions of two of Erasmus+ Key Actions are managed:

• Mobility of people for learning reasons (Key Action 1 - KA1).
• Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices (Key Action 2 - KA2): Strategic Partnerships.

Likewise, this Public Body contributes to the dissemination of the programme with the aim of sharing common European values and the active participation of citizens, helping to modernize and internationalize education and training systems, improving employability and achieving a more cohesive and inclusive society, which guarantees equal opportunities for all. At the same time, SEPIE supports and manages other international educational initiatives such as Europass, the European Portfolio of Languages or the European Seal of Languages.

As internationalization is a main part of SEPIE's vision, in this regard we also work to strengthen the international projection of the Spanish University System and the educational and research offer of Spanish universities and research centers, in all international fields.

Since the birth of the original programme in 1987, Erasmus has been one of the most tangible achievements of the European Union, of genuine European construction and of the promotion of common European values. In fact, in its 33-year history, this program has already enriched the lives of more than 10 million people, a record.

In Spain, according to the official data provided by the European Commission in its Erasmus+ 2018 Annual Report, published at the end of January 2020, which refers to the official data closed for the academic year 2017-2018, we are at the forefront of the European ranking, occupying the 1st place in reception of Erasmus+ students of Higher Education with 51,321 mobility (well ahead of Germany , United Kingdom, France, or Italy), a position that it continues to hold uninterrupted since 2001, and the 3rd place in shipment of Erasmus+ students of Higher Education with 40,226 mobility (just behind France and Germany). This report highlights the great success of the increasingly inclusive and international programme.

It is also worth noting that in the other educational sectors (School Education, Vocational Training and Adult Education), Spain is also at the top of this European ranking.

From SEPIE they are aware that Erasmus+ promotes the personal and professional success of students, because it allows young people to thrive in the modern labour market, providing them with the tools and skills necessary to be better prepared to face new challenges, with an increasingly globalized and connected world.

Erasmus+ mobility is real life experiences and in this sense mobility is a fundamental part of the training of students in order to develop personally and competitively towards the labour market, towards their professional future.

Erasmus+ offers countless benefits, such as, among many others:

• Helps students get jobs faster;
• Promotes the development of soft skills, skills such as critical thinking, adaptability, initiative and teamwork, which are so necessary and required by the labour market;
• Improves the ability to work and collaborate with people from different cultures;
• Encourages a sense of belonging to Europe, multilingualism and interculturality;
• Supports digital transformation and social inclusion;

Erasmus+ mobility is real life experiences and in this sense mobility is a fundamental part of the training of students in order to develop personally and competitively towards the labour market, towards their professional future.