There were 4 main objectives for this project: 1) Maintain and improve the range of opportunities available to staff and learners for Erasmus+ vocational education and training mobility activities. We continually seek and develop new mobilities within curriculum areas and in destinations. 2) Ensure access to opportunities for participants with additional needs, particularly those with learning difficulties and disabilities and/or facing disadvantage. Enhancing our overseas provision to include more participants with additional needs continued to be a priority for Petroc. 3) Increase the employability skills of all the participants within the project and secure an increased confidence in their own abilities because of participation. Participants took lessons learnt and progressed within the college or moved into the workforce. They enriched the College and positively impacted upon the local and wider community. 4) Continue to refine and develop all aspects of the Petroc Go mobility framework to seek efficiencies and make constant Improvements. We maintained and consolidated existing activities, and proactively engaged with our hosts. Identifying areas for improvement and making efficiencies continued to be an essential element.
Petroc’s catchment area is one that is geographically isolated and primarily rural, with significant disadvantage gaps within its population. With pay rates lower than the national average, the college sees a high proportion of its learners with financial challenges, low aspirations and facing a lack of enriching work experience that caters towards their future goals. Petroc Go’s provision of overseas work experience and learning provided learners with the opportunity to experience various training and work experience options. In turn, this raised aspirations, developed independent living and social skills and enhanced learners’ CVs. Offering learners overseas opportunities enabled the college to meet its strategic objective of providing an international perspective which would not be possible without the funding opportunities provided by Erasmus+. Gaining first-hand experience in another country provided excellent teaching and learning opportunities which has afforded Petroc’s learners - from a variety of ages and abilities - a life changing encounter which enriched their studies, enhanced their learning, and gave them a bespoke experience that they can carry with them today, tomorrow and into their future. Thank you Erasmus+.