East Coast College has been successful in securing further funding through the government’s Turing Scheme to allow students to study abroad in Hawaii and Vietnam.
The news comes as 30 students from the college’s Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth campuses have returned from a two-week trip to Bologna in Italy, where they explored international approaches to childcare as part of the scheme.
Now the college has had bids approved for students studying the new Preparation for the Military course to travel to Hawaii to work with US Army Special Forces personnel and to serve alongside local community groups. The students will be prepared for this gruelling training programme by a local trainer from September who will travel with them to work alongside military personnel on their physical progression. Their Special Forces training will see them engage in a variety of disciplines from jungle navigation to military fitness.
And Travel and Tourism students will be heading to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam next spring to build their employability skills by volunteering in the soup kitchens of the city. They will also experience first-hand tourism in the city and in southern Vietnam, visit Vung Tau and Mekong Delta and learn about Vietnamese cultures and customs. The trip aims to bridge the gap learners experienced throughout the pandemic, to strengthen their CVs, build employability skills, enhance their subject knowledge and give them the best opportunities when they progress from college.
The Turing Scheme provides young people with the opportunity to work and study abroad while boosting ties with international partners, with universities, further education colleges and schools invited to apply for funding.
Last year East Coast College was successful in securing bids for both Animal Care and Childcare students, with the former taking part in a two-week work programme studying at the UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve in South Africa in March, where students took part in activities including animal studies, game counts, reserve maintenance, field patrols, data collection and night drives.
They were followed by Childcare students who visited Bologna University, Reggio Emilia and early years settings and schools in Northern Italy to investigate different ways to innovate and inspire children which they will now build on in their own work placements.
Holly Chase, East Coast College Assistant Principal, said: “This has been a life changing opportunity for our students as they have not only engaged in amazing interactive learning experiences broadening their knowledge, but have made great strides in their personal development.
“They have brought this back into their own communities and this can be powerful in raising aspirations of others. We are now looking forward to the Turing trips next year and am confident that they too, will prove to be equally successful for our students.”