Each participating organisation will need to subscribe to a Charter.
The Corps will bring together two complementary strands: volunteering and occupational. The volunteering strand will expand the existing European Voluntary Service Scheme (funded through Erasmus+). The Corps will support young people (17-30 years old) to carry out voluntary service between two and twelve months in another country. The occupational strand will provide young people with an opportunity for a job, traineeship or apprenticeship in a wide range of sectors engaged in solidarity activities in another country. Under both strands, participants will receive a certificate detailing what they have done during their placement. The Commission will promote assessment and validation of skills acquired in the European Solidarity Corps.
Young people, wishing to join, will be able to register through a registration page under the European Youth Portal (europa.eu/solidarity-corps); training and online language support will be available. Participating organisations will need to subscribe to a Charter and will be able to apply for funding for projects, allowing them to engage European Solidarity Corps participants. Funding possibilities are listed in the communication (Erasmus+, Europe for Citizens, Employment and Social Innovation Programme, …). The European Solidarity Corps should be financed through its own budget-line in a second phase, on the basis of a separate legal basis, to be proposed by Spring 2017.