GovWire

Thousands of young people across the UK will be able to go on international study and work placements next year, as schools, colleges and universities are encouraged to apply to the governments world-wide scheme.

Applications for the third year of the flagship government programme, the Turing Scheme, are open with placements available across the globe starting from September 2023.

This year over 38,000 young people had a chance to develop new skills and gain international experience in over 160 destinations across continents, from Australia to Zimbabwe.

More than half of these placements are for young people from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds, helping to drive social mobility in parts of the UK where historically there have been fewer opportunities to work and study abroad.

Widening access to international opportunities in education and training is an essential component of the Turing Scheme with 33,000 participants from England, over 3,300 participants from Scotland, over 1,000 participants from Wales and over 860 from Northern Ireland.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

I am thrilled to offer schools, colleges and universities the chance to take part in the third year of this fantastic scheme, helping extend the ladder of opportunity and giving more young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, the chance to experience other cultures and learn vital skills for life and work.

Young people taking part will benefit from studying and working abroad, building the confidence they need for the world of work, whilst increasing growth opportunities for global Britain.

The scheme is open to young people at school, college, or university. A group of year 10 pupils from a school in Blackburn were offered the valuable opportunity to spend 2 weeks in Eswatini or Morocco in May 2022. Pupils from the Hyndburn Academy spent time in lessons with their counterparts as well as undertaking work in the local community, working with the charity All Out Africa to install drainage pipework at a care centre for local pre-school children.

Teacher Rebecca Barker-Rourke said of the experience:

The experience has developed confidence in many of the students and will give them loads of rich examples to discuss in future applications for college, university, apprenticeships and employment.

We are in an area that is economically deprived, and the Turing Scheme funding means we can offer this opportunity to students that would otherwise never get the chance for a trip like this.

Applications are open for schools, colleges and universities to apply for the third year of the Turing Scheme for global placements commencing from September 2023. Placements are funded from September 1 to August 31 each year and the scheme is managed by Capita plc on behalf of the Department for Education, with the assessment of applications provided by an independent panel of sector experts.

Cindy Rampersaud, managing director, Capita Education and Learning, said:

We are incredibly proud to support the DfE in delivering the Turing Scheme.

The funding offers fantastic opportunities for thousands of learners - including some of the UKs most disadvantaged students - to travel, expand their horizons, and reach their full potential.

Information about funding opportunities, eligibility criteria and a range of guidance and support materials for prospective applicants can be found on the Turing Scheme website.