Erasmus+ funding can help apprentices go further

Today marks the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2014 (3-7 March), an annual week that aims to raise the profile of apprenticeships amongst employers, individuals, teachers, parents and the media.

Now in its seventh year, National Apprenticeship Week 2014 will celebrate ‘Great Apprenticeships’ and highlight not only the personal career development benefits of apprenticeships, but also the positive impact apprenticeships have on businesses and the wider economy.

As National Apprentice Week celebrates its seven year anniversary, we’re marking the end of an amazing seven years of the Leonardo programme, which helped send over 170 apprentices on high quality work placements in another European country to improve their skills and employability in 2013 alone.

Benefits for apprentices, businesses and colleges

For Deeside College, the Leonardo programme gave them the opportunity to enhance their apprenticeship scheme to better support both Welsh apprentices and engineering companies involved in the scheme. It also helped them to develop better partnerships and networks with companies across Europe, and gave the staff involved a greater understanding of new and emerging technologies.

“The experience of the Leonardo Mobility Project has given me an excellent insight into what working life is like in another country / culture. I gained great confidence in taking part in the project, and I think it is vital more people take part so that they can learn in a different environment and put into perspective what their working lives are like compared with the experiences of others.” Leonardo Mobility Apprentice

Shrewsbury College’s Motor Vehicle Students in Turkey.

The Leonardo Mobility Project also enabled seventeen and eighteen-year-olds studying City & Guilds Level 2 courses in Motor Vehicle Technology at Shrewsbury College to put their skills into practice and work on some of the world’s most expensive luxury cars. The funded work placements with Lamborghini, Porsche and Bentley in Istanbul helped the mechanic students gain a competitive edge when looking for work in the automotive sector back in the UK.

Future funding opportunities

The Leonardo programme’s funding may have come to an end, but funding opportunities for apprentices to participate in training placements in another European country will continue under Erasmus+, the new EU funding programme for education, training, youth and sport. Over the course of the next seven years, Erasmus+ will help send thousands of UK apprentices on work experience placements that will:

• Broaden their knowledge of new techniques that they would not have the opportunity to experience in the UK
• Enhance their scope of learning opportunities
• Increase their skills, independence and confidence
• Increase their employability prospects.

“We want to encourage more young people in the UK to take full advantage of the grants and opportunities available through Erasmus+.” Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism, Sport, Media and Youth

There are just two weeks left for vocational education and training organisations to apply for Mobility for VET Learners and Staff funding under Erasmus+ in 2014. Apply now via the UK Erasmus+ website and help give your apprentices a European edge.