By implementing the project we wanted the student to have these new experiences, both personally and socially, and also be able to use the experience to fulfil a major requirement of the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification that they complete along side their main qualification. Some departments that take part, Hair and Beauty and Business, also have a number of placement hours that the students need to complete in order to achieve their qualification.
As a college we have been involved in previous Erasmus+ Projects and Leonardo da Vinci funding opportunities. These projects give us the opportunity to provide our students with an experience that they would not be able to have otherwise. Merthyr Tydfil is an economically deprived area, in 2019 the Welsh Government published in WIMB (Welsh Index Multiple Deprivation report summary), Merthyr Tydfil was ranked the 7th most deprived area in Wales. Without projects like this many who have taken part would never have been abroad or able to experience another culture, ways of working or be able to grow personally in areas like their trust in their own ability, their confidence and independence. As a college we recognise that these barriers are real and effect future employment and social inexperience for many. The colleges approach is a proactive one, striving to ensure that our students are able to experience as much personal ,social, financial and career improvement as possible. We place a great emphasis on this and encourage the personal mobility of students throughout Europe as a means of improving their life opportunities and enriching social integration.