Disadvantaged students are set to take up the two-thirds of the
international study and work opportunities available from
September, as part of to the government’s flagship Turing Scheme.
Over 40,000 people across the UK will get the transformational
opportunity to study or work abroad in the next academic year.
Building on the success of the previous two years, nearly
two-thirds of these placements are for people from disadvantaged
and underrepresented backgrounds, up from 51% last year, helping
to drive social mobility in parts of the UK where historically
there have been fewer opportunities to work and study abroad. In
Further Education the allocation for disadvantaged students is
even higher this year, making up 71% of placements in the sector.
The Turing Scheme widens access to international opportunities in
education and training, with more than 22,800 Higher Education
placements, over 6,700 school placements, and more than 10,500
Further Education and Vocational Education and Training
placements.
Universities, colleges and schools across the country will be
awarded a share of almost £105 million to offer placements to
their students, with more applications having been successful
this year than ever before and a significantly higher interest in
the scheme from colleges and schools, including a nearly 50%
increase in the number of successful applications in the FE
sector.
Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education said:
Once again, this transformational scheme is extending the ladder
of opportunity for more young people to experience other cultures
and learn vital skills for life and work, regardless of their
background.
With nearly a 50% increase in the number of successful
applications and around 1,800 additional learners from
disadvantaged backgrounds in the FE sector compared to last year,
I am delighted that this scheme is driving social mobility.
Young people taking part will benefit from inspirational
placements around the world that will build the confidence they
need for their future, whilst bolstering the government’s
ambition for a Global Britain.
The scheme is open to education providers and other eligible
organisations across the UK to provide international
opportunities for their students. It forms part of the
government’s ambition to create a truly Global Britain. Canada,
Japan and the United States are among over 160 international
destinations where UK students will be funded to take up work and
study placements – alongside popular European destinations like
Spain and France.
A group of year 10 pupils from a school in Blackburn were offered
the valuable opportunity to spend two 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.
Leeds Beckett University is one of the successful providers this
year and expects students to travel to destinations such as
Canada, Australia and Uganda.
Global Engagement and Relationship Manager Tom Kyle said:
We have seen growing demand for students wanting to gain some
form of Global Experience during their studies, and it makes a
big difference to be able to offer funding for this, particularly
to those students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
There is good evidence that students who spend some time abroad
during their studies benefit in terms of graduate outcomes and
employability, as well as having a fantastic time overseas. We
look forward to building on our student mobility activity and
seeing more students benefit from the opportunities this brings.
The full list of successful organisations including higher
education providers, schools, and further education, vocational
education and training providers awarded funding will be
available on the Turing Scheme website.
