Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Funding for students’ Canadian adventure
New College Lanarkshire students will be among the first to benefit from the UK’S new international student mobility programme.
The college is one of three in Scotland awarded funding from the Turing Scheme and is set to receive £64,032 to support a group of students and staff to visit Niagara College in Canada for two weeks.
The Turing Scheme is the UK Government’s programme to provide funding for international opportunities in education and training.
Named after mathematician and Second World War code breaker Alan Turing, it replaces the UK’S participation in the Erasmus+ student mobility programme following Brexit.
Dugald Craig from the college told the Advertiser: “The experiences offered will provide students with the opportunity to learn and practise their skills in a novel environment whilst encountering another culture which may seem familiar, because of the shared language of English, but with some interesting differences.
“Of the 28 Scottish projects selected for Turing funding, only six were in the vocational education sector – and New College Lanarkshire is one of only three Scottish colleges which successfully submitted a Turing Scheme application.
“I hope this is the start of a long and successful relationship with the Turing Scheme. In common with all external funding awards, the grant comes into force when all relevant legal requirements have been met, and the college is in the process of doing so.”
A total of 363 projects and organisations across the UK – of which 28 are in Scotland – were recently announced as having made successful applications to the first funding round.
Discussions are set to take place at New College Lanarkshire over the coming weeks with staff and student representatives to identify the class groups who will be invited to benefit from this experience.
It is anticipated that around 18 students will be able to participate in the international visit after successful completion of a preparation programme. Each will undertake structured work experience activities and relevant learning linked to their studies at the college while in Canada.
In March, New College Lanarkshire signed a partnership agreement with Niagara College in Ontario to allow students and staff the opportunity to benefit from best practices in Canada’s applied education system, with a particular focus on sustainability.
In announcing the first round of funding, education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “The chance to work and learn in a country far from home is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – which broadens minds, sharpens skills and improves outcomes.”
To find out more about New College Lanarkshire’s external funding and international activities, visit https://www.nclanarkshire.ac.uk/ us/external-funding-international