We wanted to add value to the students’ training programmes by embedding an overseas work placement into the curriculum, we felt that this would impact positively on retention and achievement rates through increased motivation, self-confidence and self-esteem. Furthermore, the experience abroad would give the students a unique selling point on entering the job market, particularly if the job is in the local area, where such global skills are a rarity. One college objective is to help disadvantaged young people to gain the necessary skills to enter employment. This project offered the students another avenue through which to achieve this goal, which also met the college’s objectives. Most students don’t have the financial means for travel and the opportunity that this project provided was invaluable for the students participating in work placements abroad in order to start building international contacts and gain a greater awareness of the world around them.
We applied for this project (TRADES 8) to be able to continue the good work our TRADES (Training and Development of Employability Skills) project which has developed over a number of years beginning with TRADES 1. We wished to continue broadening the horizons of our learners whilst improving their employability. Many of our students have no experience of foreign travel and often little life experience of travel even around the UK, with many not having been outside the local area. For this reason, the duration of a 2-week work placement was applied for to provide a “bite-sized” period of experience of other cultures. Further to this we also applied for ErasmusPro work experience for a period of 3 months, to further develop students who could demonstrate that they would be able to cope with this.