Briefings & Evidence

Youth mobility and UK-EU trade and Cooperation Agreement: submission to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

Ahead of giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee on Thursday 30 January, we have made a written submission to the Committee. The session will look at UK-EU trade and Cooperation Agreement, with a focus on youth mobility.

In our submission, we highlight the various youth mobility options within the EU, including long term – for example, to undertake study or employment under the free movement principle – and short term, generally through an organised exchange programme such as Erasmus+.

The UK’s exit from the EU has impacted both the outward mobility of Scottish students and graduates to the EU, and the inward mobility of EU students and graduates into Scottish universities.

Further areas we have focused on in our submission are;

  • Graduate success following the competition of a youth mobility scheme.
  • Impact on inward mobility and projected fall in EU students and staff by 2026/27.
  • Impact on the UK’s decision to not join the Erasmus+ programme.
  • The introdction and implementation of the Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) by the Scottish Government.