The College has been successful in its bid for funding from the government’s new Turing Scheme. The £475,000 grant will enable us to offer our students over 200 additional work and study placements abroad over the next academic year.
As part of the new global scheme, Canada, Japan and the United States are amongst over 150 international destinations where UK students will be funded to take up work and study placements – alongside popular European countries like Germany and France.
Students joining the College this September will be able to apply for volunteering opportunities, as well as one of the summer schools that take place in countries such as Cambodia, Canada, China, India, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, Thailand and the United States. As well as shorter term opportunities, the scheme will also support longer duration visits including students taking degrees with an integrated year abroad, as well as those who choose to apply for a ‘year out’.
The College will work with the international volunteering partner organisation, Challenges Abroad, to expand opportunities for its students to participate in global volunteering opportunities.
Professor James Knowles, Deputy Principal (Academic), led the Turing bid team. He commented: “The Turing Scheme funding expands the number and type of awards we can offer and allows us to focus on students who have not travelled abroad before or are unable to do so due to financial or social pressures. The award is an important step in our strategy to reduce educational disadvantage and improve the educational and employment outcomes for all our students. I’m grateful to the team who worked to a tight timetable, including over the Easter vacation, to submit this bid, and included colleagues from our academic schools and professional services departments.”
Dr Jon Howden-Evans, Director of Student Academic Services, said: “Spending time working and studying abroad can be life-changing for students. Through these opportunities our students gain invaluable new experiences and transferable skills which can help and inspire them to achieve their highest potential.”
The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s scheme to provide funding for international opportunities in education and training across the world. It supports Global Britain by providing an opportunity for UK organisations from the higher education, further education, vocational education and training and schools sectors to offer their students, learners and pupils life-changing experiences to study or work abroad.