Once a student has started their mobility it is important to provide structural support to them throughout their entire mobility. The type of support that is necessary depends on the needs of the student.

“Students integrate well even somewhere local people didn´t talk English. Food and living were good. In group exchange group works were great. Getting to know new people was interesting. In all experience was great.”

- Teacher from Finland

The support during Erasmus+ mobility should ideally be individually planned and consistently provided by both the home and host schools/ internship company. According to Erasmus+ quality standards:

• Support needs must be identified early.

• Schools and/or companies involved should collaborate closely.

• Student well-being must be monitored and supported throughout the exchange.

There are several areas in which a student could use support during their mobility. It is important to already identify these areas of support during the preparation phase. However, some areas might unexpectedly need some attention, so it would be good to monitor all areas regularly.

Areas that you could consider monitoring during a mobility or providing support on are:

• Personal resources: Motivation, stress management, energy and self-confidence.

• Learning and working skills: Basic academic skills, learning ability, health, focus and task completion.

• Cooperation skills: Teamwork, communication, workplace behaviour and emotional regulation.

• Everyday living skills: Self-care, money management, mobility and leisure activities.

“I loved autonomy, going out of home, learning the language and seeing the diverse ways used to do the same work.”

- Student from Spain

• Promote peer support: together with the hosting organization find a peer student/fellow student to help the student integrate into both their work environment and social circles. A buddy could assist with both practical needs and emotional support.

• Encourage the student to participate in social and cultural activities offered by the host institution, local community or the local Erasmus Student Network. These activities can help building networks and overcoming isolation.

• Monitoring and Mentoring: It is important to appoint a mentor or key contact within the host institution to oversee the student's integration, facilitate their learning, and monitor their progress (attendance, grades, behaviour). It is important that mentors adopt a proactive approach, particularly during the initial stages, to foster effective communication with students.

• You could consider assigning an accompanying person to support the student during their mobility. These personnel are designated to help during travel and training, and the Erasmus+ programme and other initiatives offer financial support to cover them. The duration and scope of the support provided by the accompanying person depends on two factors:

  • The need for individual support: a student with everyday living needs related to self-care does not require the same level of assistance as a student experiencing low levels of self-confidence and self-image.

  • The characteristics of the mobility program.

  The accompanying person does not necessarily have to be there throughout the entire period of student´s mobility. Special support may only be required for a specific duration, such as during the journey or for the initial days or some weeks during longer Erasmus+ periods.

• The maintenance of regular communication is of importance. It is important to maintain communication with the mentee via pre-arranged meetings, thereby establishing an environment in which the student feels save to discuss sensitive issues. You could also consider offering regular communication with the parents of the student. In case a host family is involved during exchange period, it is necessary to have regular contact with them to provide the opportunity to ask questions or advice on specific needs of the student.

The next checklist on module 4 will help you to check the accessibility of the support during mobility.

The next checklist will help your students during their mobility.

Every student deserves the chance to have a positive mobility experience. However, the type of support that is needed for a successful experience differ for every student, depending on their needs. For this reason, it is important that students always have ready access to support from origin and host institutions during their mobility. A mentor/ coordinator/teacher should consider the following types of support.