Currently, young people encounter significant difficulties in accessing the labour market, challenges that are further heightened for those with disabilities. To enhance their employability, achieving sufficient language proficiency is key; indeed, it is estimated that language skills boost employability by 25%.
Accordingly, aiming to promote and develop initiatives focused on the full inclusion of persons with disabilities, the ONCE Foundation has launched the 5th Call for Language Study Abroad Grants for Young People with Disabilities. This initiative is carried out jointly with the European Social Fund, implementing the Youth Guarantee scheme within the Youth Employment Operational Programme 2014–2020.
The call opened on March 1, 2022, and provides financial grants to cover the costs of language courses abroad, as well as associated expenses such as accommodation, flights, and related necessities. Courses must have a duration of between a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 12 weeks. Regarding the grant amount, funding is proportional to the duration of the stay, corresponding to €1,000 for every two weeks of study.
To be eligible for these grants, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- A recognised degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.
- Be between 18 and 29 years of age at the time of application.
- Be registered as a beneficiary of the National Youth Guarantee System or have been registered within the 15 days prior to applying. Further information regarding this procedure is available here.
- Hold an accredited language proficiency of at least a B1 level in the language to be studied.
- Enrol in a course comprising at least 20 lessons per week of 40 minutes each (amounting to at least 14 hours and 20 minutes of instruction per week).
- Hold valid health insurance or a valid European Health Insurance Card.
The deadline to complete the course is December 31, 2022, and the application period will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2022.
For further details, consult the full call for applications and register here.
