Introduction

Learning mobility, regardless of social or cultural background, as well as cooperation and innovative policy development in education and training, including VET, is key to building inclusive societies and sustaining the competitiveness of the European Union . It also contributes to strengthening European identity, principles and values, as well promoting a more democratic EU.

Digitalisation can strongly enhance learning mobility, which can take different forms, be it physical learning mobility, or virtual learning (i.e. acquisition of knowledge, skills and competences through the use of information and communication tools).

Learning mobility may be accompanied by measures such as language support and training and/or be complemented by online learning and virtual cooperation for the purpose of providing a meaningful transnational or international learning experience. Virtual formats can entail virtual cooperation, blended and virtual mobility, which can play an important role to reach more participants, in particular those with fewer opportunities and those for whom moving to a country other than their country of residence would be an obstacle.

Nonetheless, European mobility in VET is lagging behind compared to other sectors, such as higher education. Moreover, EU support in the area of VET has so far been limited to Europe, and not included the international dimension. Increasing the use of virtual cooperation activities could boost international exchanges in VET, such as through more systematic and coherent use of online platforms such as eTwinning, and others in the area of VET.

In addition, in the COVID-19 context where physical mobility has been halted or severely curtailed, exchanges through online and virtual learning between countries have become even more significant. Whilst digital technologies can never replace all of the benefits of physical mobility, online platforms have scope to play an enhanced role in the preparation for and follow-up of physical mobility, especially now that the COVID-19 experience has increased people’s familiarity with them.