By Gavin Mackintosh-
UK university students are set to benefit from work and study placements in countries all over the world, after bids today opened for the second year of the Turing Scheme which has seen students travel to over one hundred countries since it launched last year.
Britain remains one of the best countries to undertake a university degree, and also provides great experience for its students who wish to experience a work or study placement in another country of its choice.
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Universities, schools and colleges are now invited to submit applications for grants to the scheme, which is backed by £110m for the next academic year, to create lifechanging opportunities in countries across the world.
The first year of the programme, which replaced the UK’s participation in the Erasmus+ scheme, has seen UK students embark on journeys to every corner of the globe – from Iceland to Indonesia.
Projects have included 30 pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds in Wales visiting Cleveland, Ohio earlier this month to spend time in the homes of their US peers, and 16 teenage pupils from Buckinghamshire spending a week in Bangkok, Thailand, and raising thousands of pounds for a local orphanage.
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As well as supporting work and study placements, the Turing Scheme also opens the door to volunteering opportunities in unique settings all over the world.
UK universities and colleges are able to partner with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and public bodies, and schools with other schools, to create opportunities for UK students to volunteer in support of important causes. One Cambridgeshire Secondary School plans for forty pupils to visit Jodhpur, India, as part of fundraising efforts for a residential school in the region helping young people with disabilities.
Minister for Skills Alex Burghart said:
‘The Turing Scheme has delivered thousands of life-changing experiences since it launched last year – opening minds and broadening horizons for students from every part of the UK – through placements in some of the world’s most exciting international destinations, from Bolivia to Brunei.
As part of our vision for a truly Global Britain the Government is funding the Turing Scheme for a further 3 years, and I urge every school, college and university to make bold, creative applications for next year, so more students can travel to new frontiers to earn, learn, and grow their potential.
Skills Minister Alex Burghart is today (31 March) visiting the University of St. Andrews and University of Edinburgh, where he will meet chemical and electrical engineering students who have honed their skills through Turing work placements in Toronto and Zurich.
University of Edinburgh, Vice Principal International, Professor James Smith, said:
”The University has a proud international history. Alongside welcoming international students to Scotland, we continue to create successful opportunities for our students to learn with leading universities and industrial partners around the world.
Widening participation, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, is one of our key strategic priorities. We look forward to working with the UK Government to ensure the Turing scheme will enable us to continue delivering inclusive life-changing opportunities for all talented and bright students, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds.
We are pleased to be applying for the second year of the Turing scheme, and we look forward to sending students to all parts of the globe. For this year’s placements, this is a fantastic opportunity for students to embrace new learning experiences, forge new friendships and immerse themselves in a different culture.
The opening of Turing Scheme bids comes after it was confirmed that the UK had for the first time hit its target for the number of international students coming to the UK, almost 10 years ahead of schedule. New figures published in January showed that in the year 2020/21, more than 600,000 international students chose to study in the UK, a figure the Government had pledged to hit by 2030.
The Turing Scheme delivers on the Government’s mission to level-up opportunity and life chances across the UK, by targeting areas which previously benefited less under the Erasmus+ programme, and providing extra funding for disadvantaged students to cover travel, passport and visa costs.
Bids open on 31st March for universities, schools and colleges in every region and nation of the UK to submit applications for Year 2 of the Turing Scheme, for academic year 2022/23.
Based on data reported by universities, schools and colleges for mobilities which have a start date prior to 1st March 2022, we can confirm that Turing participants at UK providers have travelled to 113 countries. We will publish a full breakdown of mobilities in due course, once projects have completed.
The Turing Scheme supports educational volunteering opportunities, by including opportunities for UK universities and further education colleges to partner with NGOs, non-profit organizations and social enterprise.
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