New opportunities for disadvantaged students to travel abroad
by Educate Magazine January 4, 2024 · All News / Education News
Disadvantaged young people make up the majority of international study placements, new research published yesterday (3 January) shows. The government said its flagship Turing Scheme, which enables students to work and study abroad has proved a success, providing tens of thousands of young people across the UK with transformational opportunities.
The Turing Scheme was introduced in 2021 to widen access to global opportunities in education and training following the UK’s departure from the European Union.
A group of T-level students comprising of nursing, construction and IT students from Somerset also gained valuable knowledge and skills during a two-week Turing Scheme placement in Mississippi.
Jon Harding, international and education projects manager at the college, said: “Some of these students are on support funding on their courses and there were probably five or six who had never had a passport, hadn’t travelled out of Somerset and it was their first time on a plane.
“That impact for us was huge. We are in an area that, demographically, has a high level of families with low incomes and it was a big win for us that we could integrate students that probably wouldn’t have undertaken this, or similar trips, if the Turing Scheme funding wasn’t there. They wouldn’t have been able to afford to go.”
Year 5 pupils from Lanchester EP Primary School in Durham took a trip to India in January 2023 in the second year of the Turing Scheme. For many of the pupils, this was the first time they had left the UK.
Kate, a pupil from Lanchester EP Primary School said of the experience: “During the week we did lots of fun stuff. We went to two different schools and learnt about children’s rights and what the children at the schools needed and wanted.
“Going on this trip has really changed my view of the world and it makes me want to travel more to learn about different cultures.”
Catering students from Southeastern Regional College in Northern Ireland got the chance to hone their skills with a trip to Tennessee. This trip was the first experience outside of Europe for all the participating students.
Student Ellie Hamilton, from Bangor, said: “Learning about new foods and styles of cooking and how the line kitchen works – where the cook supervises a specific area of the kitchen and reports to the head chef – was very interesting.
“The trip has made me more culturally aware and more confident in my own skills and abilities.”
Entrepreneurial students from Nottingham Trent University boosted their business acumen and employability skills with a visit to Mexico.
The government announced its plans for the Turing Scheme in December 2020, which would provide funding for international opportunities across the world. Erasmus+ provided travel support to participants who travelled to Partner Countries, which was around only 3% of UK participants. The Turing Scheme provides funding for travel costs for disadvantaged HE students and funding for visas, passports and related travel insurance.
Details for the Turing Scheme’s fourth year will be announced shortly.
Image by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.
