Students Unaware of Bursaries
Around 12,000 students from poorer backgrounds have not claimed bursaries because they were not aware they were entitled to £1,000 grants, the Office of Fair Access (Offa) has said. Students from homes with less than £25,000 income can claim a bursary from their university. Many universities have run bursary awareness campaigns, but Offa has written to others that have not been as proactive.
Source: BBC Online, 24th January 2008
Hefce Wants Employers to Co-Fund Students
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) has launched an “employer engagement fund” of up to £105m over three years to encourage businesses to co-fund students. Overall, universities will receive around £7.5bn in Government funding this year, a rise of 3.3% on the previous year.
Source: The Guardian, 25th January 2008
Government Backed Report Threatens Grammar Schools
The 33 grammar schools in Kent, run by Kent County Council, could be under threat if the Government decides to act upon a new study commissioned by the DCSF, carried by Sheffield Hallam University and the National Centre for Social Research. The study has concluded that selection by ability/attainment is correlated with the social background of students, meaning that faith schools and grammar schools are socially exclusive. In order to eradicate social bias in education, the report recommends either phasing out selection by attainment, or taking steps to ensure an equal spread of social representation in those qualifying for the 11-plus test. Other proposals put forward in the report include an increased use of the postcode lottery system to determine secondary school places and ‘banding’ which ensures that students from the top; middle; and lower tiers of ability bands are placed in all secondary schools. Selection by ability is already enforced, since many more girls would pass the 11-plus if gender segregation were not imposed.
Source: Kent News, 1st Feb 2008
Holiday Job-Match Site for Students
A new online "matchmaking" service has been launched offering students the chance to put their skills to work during the holidays. Studentgems allows anyone in full-time education to post a profile listing all their skills. Potential employers can then look at the profiles and find the student with the skills they need. The Studentgems founders, Joanna Ward and Sue Harrison, said they were surprised by the response from students. 500 signed up in the first month for the service which is currently free for both students and those posting a job and Studentgems hope to fund the site through advertising and sponsorship.
Source: Education Guardian Online, 19th Dec 2007
Careers Conferences - Improve Your Chances of Becoming a Doctor
Careers Conferences which were held in Central London recently are to be repeated in 2009. These conferences may interest GCSE or A level students thinking of becoming a doctor. There will be opportunities to get practical advice about getting into university and the medical profession, specialist fields, academic options, alternative and related careers, and talk with qualified doctors and university students. Organisers Epoc are taking bookings already for the 2009 dates: 31st January 2009 and 14th March 2009
For full details visit http://www.epoc.org.uk
Careers Conferences - Improve Your Chances of Becoming a Lawyer
Careers Conferences which were held in Central London recently are to be repeated in 2009. These conferences may interest GCSE or A level students thinking of becoming a lawyer. There will be opportunities to get practical advice about getting into university and the legal profession, specialist fields, academic options, alternative and related careers, and talk with qualified solicitors, barristers and university students. Organisers Epoc are taking bookings already for the 2009 dates: 7 February 2009, 21 March 2009.
For full details visit http://www.epoc.org.uk
Go4SET
Go4SET is an Engineering and Development Trust (EDT) initiative which aims to get young people interested in Science, Engineering and Technology. The scheme is aimed at teams of Year 9 pupils who are offered links to companies and universities. They then get the chance to take part in a 10 week Science, Engineering and Technology experience. For more information visit http://www.go4set.org.uk
New Work Experience Website Set Up
A new nationwide website named http://www.myworkexp.com has been set up to help students and businesses negotiate work experience placements. Employers who sign up for the service will be able to build links with local schools so that they can control when they accept students and which students they take on. Students will also be able to register and search online for placements that suit their needs and interests. It is hoped that with the introduction of the site, more businesses will be encouraged to offer placements to students. To find out more, Click here to visit the service’s website or call 0845 6034410 for more information.
Source: Kent Business, Oct 5th, 2007.
Kent County Council Offers Gap Year Opportunities
Kent County Council is offering a gap year scheme
for students wishing to find relevant, paid work
experience in the Kent and Medway region. More than
30 organisations, including the council itself, Kent
Police, East Kent NHS and Jacobs Engineering Group
Inc are offering opportunities for students to show
their capabilities and gain a positive view of employment
within the Kent region. To find out more, Click
here to view the council’s work placement pages
or alternatively email gapyear@kent.gov.uk or call
01233 661851.
Source: Kent County Council, 31st Jul 2007
Foundation Degree Forward’s
(fdf’s)
primary objective is to support the development of
high quality Foundation degrees. fdf works
in partnership with all relevant agencies, institutions,
organisations
and interest groups to ensure that the development
of Foundation degrees is driven by the needs of students
and employers, and satisfies the requirements of
all stakeholders. fdf is a ‘needs driven’ organisation
and where information or skill gaps emerge in Foundation
degree development, fdf will
endeavour to work with interested parties to fill
them. For more information
on Fds including a complete listing of available
programmes and case studies from the South East region,
please visit the Foundation Degree Forward website
at http://www.fdf.ac.uk or contact the Regional Director,
Helen Thomas, on h.thomas@fdf.ac.uk.
Research has shown that it is difficult for Information,
Advice and Guidance (IAG) practitioners to keep up
to date with the plethora of new qualifications and
progression pathways that are available, including
Foundation Degrees, and that although good quality
information is available it is not always aimed at
practitioners' needs or the needs of particular groups
of clients.
For information about grants
for young adults, aged between 19 and 30, who are
studying more than 12
hours per week, see http://www.adultlearninggrant.com
For signposting for disadvantaged students to charities
offering funding for learning, see the Educational
Grants Advisory Service (EGAS) website, http://www.egas-online.org/fwa/index.html
For an online version of the Money to Learn booklet
targeting both individuals and advisers, see http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/moneytolearn/.
The website covers a range of financial help for
students.
For people starting their
first degree in a construction-related subject,
an Inspire scholarship of up to £9,000
over 3 years could be available. For further information,
visit http://www.bconstructive.co.uk/scholarship2007/
New Bursaries for Students
Greenwich hospital is providing three bursaries of £3,000
for undergraduates at the University of Greenwich
who have a parent who are serving or former sailors
or Royal Marines.
Folkestone Gets New Adult Education Service
Kent Adult Education Service has taken over the running of The Cube in Folkestone and will offer creative arts courses for adults as of March 2008. The centre will be offering taster sessions this January for some of the courses being run. To find out when these taster session will be held, call 0845 606 5606 for more information.
Source: Kent County Council Website, 19th Dec 2007
For a list of all the adult education
courses being run in Kent for the 2007/8 academic
year, click
here to access the course directory.
The University of Kent offers a range of combined
study courses for adults wishing to study subjects
that they have little or no prior knowledge of. No
qualifications are needed to enrol on these courses
and there is no formal interview procedure. Click
here to download a prospectus for the 2007/8 academic
year.
This section is about learning opportunities and support for HE in the
area.
New Job Skills Website for Students
A new website, studentgems lets full-time students post a skills profile for themselves that employers can browse to find the skills they need. Many students are now looking for work alongside their courses to reduce the amount they need in student loans. More than 500 students signed up to the website in the first month.
The website is currently free, as the website will be funded through sponsorship and advertising. To visit the website click here
Source: Education Guardian Online, 19th December 2007
To help clients find a university degree course that matches their skills and interests, http://www.ukcoursefinder.com/ offers a study interests questionnaire, location search, information about types of universities and colleges and searches through more than 50,000 HE courses at 500 UK HE Institutions.
Aim Higher
Aim Higher South East promotes
inclusion and access to Higher Education. Follow
the link to the South
East webpage for more information. Aim
Higher South East
For Aim Higher information for Kent and Medway click
here
A programme of summer schools to help young people
experience and prepare for university life is held
each year at various universities. Click
here
for details from Aim Higher South East about the
programme.
For information on Higher Education
Funding visit the DfES webpage by clicking
here
UCAS
UCAS is the central organisation that processes applications for full
time undergraduate courses at UK universities and colleges. The web
site http://www.ucas.com provides
a valuable source of information on course searches, applications,
finance, news, statistics and publications
and is a useful tool for young people, parents and carers and guidance
professionals.
Visit www.open.ac.uk for
the Open University’s web page, which
outlines everything you need to know about courses, research opportunities,
and employment opportunities.
The University of Kent’s main campus is situated in Canterbury
- visit http://www.kent.ac.uk/.
The university has two other main campuses:
Canterbury Christ Church University has
14,000 students studying at its four campuses in Canterbury, Broadstairs,
Tunbridge Wells and Chatham.
University College for the Creative Arts at Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham,
Maidstone and Rochester (incorporating the former Kent Institute of
Art and Design) Oakwood Park, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8AG. Tel : +44
(0)1622
757286 http://www.ucreative.ac.uk
North West Kent College develops and offers high level programmes as
a Partner College of the University of Greenwich. Partner College status
also gives students the opportunity to progress into Higher Education
at a local University on successful completion of their programmes.
Further information is available from the Helpline on 0800 074 1447
or from the
University of Greenwich direct on 020 8331 8000.
Higher Education at Hadlow College, Kent: These programmes include
HNC, HND, Foundation Degree and Honours Degree awards, available in
part-time,
full-time or sandwich modes. To find out more about the University
of Greenwich Higher Education programmes based at Hadlow College please
contact our Course Enquiry Unit on Freephone 0500 551434.
For profiles of UK universities
and FE colleges offering HE courses, see http://www.hero.ac.uk
For up to date information about the quality of higher education in universities
and colleges, see http://www.tqi.ac.uk
Private Companies to Run National Qualification Schemes
The Government plans to allow private companies such as Network Rail, Flybe and McDonald’s to run national qualification schemes that could enable their staff to go to university. Network Rail has set up its own diplomas training staff in track engineering which will now be officially recognised.
Source: The Observer, 27th January 2008
Construction Courses Offered at South Kent College
South Kent College is hoping to address a skills shortage in the construction industry by offering 42 young people the chance to start a young apprenticeship scheme this September. The BTEC first diploma in construction is equivalent to five GCSEs and will be offered at all three of South Kent College’s campuses, located in Dover, Folkestone and Ashford. Students enrolling on the course from September will go to college for two days a week and spend one day a week after Easter doing work experience. In all, students will complete 50 days’ work experience as part of the course. As indicated by other stories, skills in the construction industry are in demand in the region. For more information on the opportunities available at South Kent College, call 0845 2078220
Source: Sevenoaks Chronicle, 7th March 2008
Information on Post-16 school and learner support funds can be found
on the Kent County Council website, click
here for information:
East
Kent EBP - Anne McNulty -
Kent Innovation Centre
Thanet Reach Business Park
Millennium Way
Broadstairs
Kent CT10 2QQ
01843 609310 anne.ekebp@kentinnovation.co.uk
WWW: www.ekebp.co.uk
Medway EBP - Toni Clarke – South
East Regional Representative for the National EBP Network
c/o BAE SYSTEMS
Airport Works
Rochester
Kent ME1 2XX
01634 204634 mebp@btinternet.com
WWW: www.mebp.org
Invicta
EBP – (New amalgamation
of the Mid-Kent EBP & Canterbury and
Swale EBPs) Alan Mount -
39 - 48 Marsham Street
Maidstone
Kent ME14 1HH
01622 763004 alan.mount@midkentebp.co.uk
WWW: http://invictaebp.co.uk
North West Kent
BEP - Mike Kiernan -
c/o Britannia Refined Metals Ltd
Botany Road
Northfleet
Gravesend
DA11 9BG
01474 355155 mikekiernan@nwkbep.org.uk
WWW: www.nwkbep.org.uk
South
Kent EBP (NOW = Kent Works) – Caroline
Hunt
Acorn House
John Wilson Business Park
Reeves Way
Whitstable
Kent CT5 3QU
0845 6019940
WWW: www.kentworks.org
University College for the Creative Arts Open Days
Canterbury
Open Days: To be announced
Epsom(Surrey)
Open Days: Tuesday 24th June from 5.00pm, Wednesday 23 Oct & Wednesday 30th Oct 2008.
Farnham(Hampshire)
Open Days: Thursday 5 June & Saturday 7 June 2008, Wednesday 15, Wednesday 22 & Saturday 25 October 2008
Maidstone
Open Days: Tuesday 17 June 2008
Rochester
Open Days :
• Wednesday 25th June 2008 - 10am to 4pm
• Thursday 26th June 2008 - 10am to 4pm
• Saturday 13th September 2008
• Saturday 11th October 2008
• Saturday 15th November 2008
• Saturday 6th December 2008
From the 23rd April 2008 until September, Drop-in afternoons are also scheduled for every Wednesday from 1pm-4pm. After September, these afternoons will only happen once a month. It is necessary to pre-book to attend one of these afternoons. For more information, click here.
5,000 Cultural Apprenticeships Created
By 2013, 5,000 apprenticeship places will be made available in the arts and media at institutions such as the Tate Liverpool, the Royal Opera House, Universal Music, EMI and Aardman Animations. Government will put forward £70.5m funding for the initiative, which will also give opportunities at the National Trust, Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
Other cultural schemes include:
A Find Your Talent pilot initiative offering young people five hours of culture per week inside and outside of school
A £500,000 pilot scheme to provide young musicians in deprived areas with opportunities to practise and perform live, as well as 10 new spaces for rehearsals
A global conference for the “creative economy” in the mould of the annual World Economic Forum meeting
An academic hub to encourage schools and further and higher education institutions to collaborate and share contacts and facilities
Currently, the “creative industries” in the UK employ over 1.8 million staff, which is a higher proportion of the workforce than in other countries. The "creative industries" and their offshoots employ more than 1.8 million people, a higher share of the UK workforce than other countries.
Source: BBC Online, 22nd February 2008
Firms Commit to an Increase in Apprenticeships
Six large UK employers have announced their commitment to provide over 4,000 extra apprenticeships by 2009. The announcement comes after the Government backed Apprenticeship review that took place in January this year. The review detailed the Government’s plans to make apprenticeships a mainstream option for adults and young people by growing and strengthening current provision. The employers who have promised to provide apprenticeships are:
• Vodafone – 2,000 apprenticeships to start in 2008-9
• Superdrug – 1,000 apprenticeships to start in 2008-9
• Sainsbury’s – 400 apprenticeships to start in 2008-9
• Barchester Healthcare – 350 apprenticeships to start in 2008-9
• Veolia – 250 apprenticeships to start in 2008-9
Phones4U have also recently commenced an apprenticeship scheme and will offer over 200 opportunities by the end of this year.
Source: Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills website, 25th Feb 2008
Report about Young Apprenticeships Programme Published
A report commissioned by DCSF about the Young Apprenticeship (YA) programme has been published by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES). In light of the Government’s ambitious target of 90% post-16 participation, the research aimed to find out more about Young Apprenticeships and training and careers opportunities, through case studies, workshops and the development of information about YAs with sector skills councils. Findings included: the need to set more recruitment targets, especially for minority groups for non-traditional subjects for boys and girls; raising awareness of YA, and embedding IAG within recruitment processes; models of support; and ways to encourage wider choices by young people.
Kent Success Scheme
Kent County
Council, in collaboration with key training centres,
is offering a scheme for school leavers who have
yet to decide on what to do and people who are not
in education, employment or training. Under the scheme,
an apprentice is paid £80 per week and employed
by the council for 12 months under a fixed term contract.
During their apprenticeship, a young person will
learn while they work by completing a Level 2 NVQ,
key skills dependent on GCSE results plus a technical
certificate. An NVQ Level 2 normally takes up to
a year to complete and areas currently providing
this opportunity include childcare, customer service,
hospitality and catering, business and admin and
health and social care. Prospective candidates are
interviewed and assessed individually by the council
and then interviewed for suitability by their prospective
employer. For more information on the scheme, call
Terri Macdonald on 07769 901552 and visit the following
url for more information: http://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-learning/youth-services/work-based-learning/
New Young People’s
Award
A new scheme has been launched by Kent County
Council to address employer concerns about young
people’s
readiness for work. Called the Work Ready Award,
the scheme was launched at the Kent 2020 Vision
event. Construction students took advantage of
the new award which covers 6 areas: attendance,
punctuality, health and safety and personal skills
such as communication, teamwork and following
instructions. Students who pass all six areas
are awarded the
Work Ready Award card, which will be officially
recognised as prepared for a work experience
placement in construction. The initiative is
a collaboration
between the Learning and Skills Council, North
West Kent College, Construction Skills, Kent
County Council and Kent Works.
Advertised Apprenticeships
Optical Adviser Apprenticeships
Dolland and Aitcheson is accredited with Optical Retailing NVQs. They offer Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships for Optical Advisers which includes the completion of an NVQ Level 2 in Customer Service and then an NVQ Level 3. For more information click here.
Hairdressing and Beauty Salon Apprenticeships
Saks Education is an approved training provider where individuals can be trained to government recognised qualifications in any hairdressing or beauty salon. Participants will be able to work towards NVQs in Hairdressing or Beauty Therapy Levels 2 and 3, and key skills. For more details click here.
The BBC website has a page dedicated to apprenticeships. It provides information for apprentices, employers and tutors. To access the webpage click here.
Retail Apprenticeships With Tesco
Tesco offer a retail apprenticeship for workers in
their stores. The programme starts every September
in selected stores and participants work towards
NVQ qualifications in retail. For more information
on the scheme and to find out if your local Tesco
store is running the apprenticeship click
here
John Lewis Retail Skills Training Programme
John Lewis offers a retail skills training programme
at their stores. Participants first complete a Personal
Development Programme (PDP) and then they have the
opportunity to gain an NVQ in the following areas:
Customer Service, Visual Merchandising and Display,
Security Guarding, Distribution and Warehousing and
Business Administration. For more information click
here
The AA Advanced Apprenticeship Programme
The AA offer Advanced Apprenticeships to those
interested in a career in the motor industry. They
are looking for people ideally aged between 16
and 19 years old who have a good interest in motor
vehicles, at least three good GCSEs and the ability
to work in a team. For more information on how
to apply visit http://www.aa-academy.com/who.html
For details of The Royal Mail Apprenticeship scheme
click
here
Toyota Advanced Apprenticeship
Toyota offer an Advanced Apprenticeship scheme in the following areas: Vehicle Technician, Parts Advisor, Body Technician, Paint Technician, Service Advisor and Maintenance Engineering. For more information and to apply visit http://www.toyota-apprenticeship.co.uk/toyotaapprentice
Ford Motor Company Apprenticeship
Ford Motor Company offers Apprenticeships in Manufacturing Engineering. The Apprenticeship leads to a nationally recognised qualification which is equivalent to two A Levels. For more information and to apply visit http://www.ford.co.uk/apprenticeships#
Training Opportunities with Carillion
Carillion plc is one of the UK's leading support services and construction companies. Every year the company recruits 800 school leavers through their two training schemes – Carillion Training and Modern Apprenticeship Scheme. For entry requirements and more information visit http://www.carillionplc.com/careers/careers_apprenticeships.asp
Citroen UK Advanced Apprenticeship Programme
Citroen UK’s advanced apprenticeship
programme is endorsed by the Learning Skills Council
and provides training for school leavers up to NVQ
Level 3. Courses offered include petrol and diesel
injection and electrical diagnostics and apprentices
are given the chance to work on the latest vehicles
on the production line. To find out more, click here
Renault Apprenticeship Programme
Renault has a three year apprenticeship scheme
to develop technicians who are needed for the future
of the Renault Dealer Network. The scheme is aimed
at school leavers who are interested in becoming
Renault Technical Experts, Parts Consultants or
Paint and Vehicle Body Repair Specialists. For
further information visit http://www.renault.co.uk/apprentice_ApprenticeshipProgramme.aspx
BAA Advanced Engineering Apprenticeships
World leading aviation company BAA offer advanced engineering apprenticeships to young people wishing to find a practical alternative to studying for A Levels or going to university. E-mail paulspence@baa.com for more information.
Network Rail Apprenticeship Programme
Network Rail offers up to 250
people a year the chance to undertake their three
year apprenticeships leading up to qualification
as a maintenance engineering technician. Applicants
must have a minimum of four GCSEs grades A to C and
the first year will be residential at their training
centre near Portsmouth. The second two years are
built around gaining practical skills near to the
apprentice’s home area and they are paid throughout
their entire period of training. Visit the following
url for more information: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/117.aspx
Apprenticeships with BT
BT runs an apprenticeship scheme, candidates must have 3 or more GCSEs grade C or above including Maths and English Language. The next national recruitment campaign begins in February 2008. For more information click here.
Southern Electric
Southern Electric have a number of apprenticeship opportunities. For full details click here
Npower Apprenticeship Programme
Npower run advanced apprenticeships on electrical, control & instrumentation and mechanical engineering. In order to apply candidates need at least five GCSEs, grade A-C, including Maths, English Language and a Science or Technology subject. For more details and to apply click here
E.ON-UK Apprenticeship Schemes
E.ON-UK offers gas, energy and electrical apprenticeship schemes. For more details and to apply click here
Young Merchant Training Scheme with Jewson
Jewson building suppliers run a Young Merchant Training Scheme. This is targeted at young people aged 17 to 20 years who are looking for an alternative to university. The programme provides structured training in a sales and service environment along with the chance to gain qualifications. For more details click here.
Also for Construction related apprenticeships in
Kent, please look at the Construction Labour in
Kent (CLIK) website run by Kent County
Council. Click
here to access the site.
Volunteers Needed at Edenbridge Drop-in Centre
The Bridges drop-in centre on Edenbridge high street is in need of more volunteers to help continue its services. The centre runs a café and also holds clinics and sessions on such issues as alcohol and drug rehabilitation and mental health. The centre currently opens six days a week and shuts at 12.30pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The manager of the centre would like it to open for longer but more voluntary staff are needed before this can happen. There are currently around 100 hundred volunteers working at the centre but some only work fortnightly or monthly. For information on how to volunteer at the centre, call 01732 868 186.
Source: Kent and Sussex Courier, 1st Feb 2008
Latest Citizenship Survey Results
Results from the latest Citizenship Survey are now available. In the survey period (April to June 2007) almost three quarters (73%) of all adults had volunteered, formally or informally, at least once in the last 12 months and almost half (48%) having volunteered at least once a month. Although overall levels of volunteering have not changed since 2001, there has been a move towards formal volunteering and away from informal. Women were more likely to volunteer (53%) than men (42%). Forty three percent of people from groups at risk of social exclusion had volunteered at least once a month which represented no statistically significant change from 2001 (41%).
Source: Statistical Release Citizenship Survey: April-June 2007 Communities and Local Government, 4th October 2007
Kent Libraries and Archives are operating a volunteer scheme entitled Time2Give. The scheme is looking for people willing to offer help connected to a wide range of community services including homework club helpers, school liaison drivers and gardeners. For more information, call 01622 696468 or email libraryvolunteers@kent.gov.uk. Support, training and out of pocket expenses are all given to people who sign up to help.
Kent County Council operates a voluntary scheme called Kent Volunteers. To find out about how they help people to find the voluntary opportunities they want, please click here.
The
Community Service Volunteers (CSV) have schemes
to encourage all types of members of the community
to volunteer, including a Retired and Seniors
Volunteer Programme (RSVP) for older people.
For more information, go to http://www.csv.org.uk/Volunteer/Senior+Volunteers/
Reach matches the skills of individuals to local
community volunteering opportunities. For more
information see http://www.volwork.org.uk
i-to-i offers a variety of volunteer projects
and training to teach abroad as well as working
holidays. For further details, go to http://www.i-to-i.com/
Community
Service Volunteers The CSV (Community Service Volunteers) Hotline
is available for students who want to take a gap
year. CSV offers UK based gap years lasting between
4 months to a year, where volunteers live away
from home with free accommodation, food and travel
expenses on top of a weekly allowance. More information
is available on 0800 374 991 or on http://www.csv.org.uk/gapyear
Volunteering for Older People
The WRVS are co-ordinating the government initiative
to promote volunteering opportunities in later
life. The Volunteering Initiative in the Third
Age (VITA) is promoting the value and impact
of older volunteers. Recent events include the
VITA and Help the Aged Conference held in Westminster
on 6th June bringing together voluntary sector
representatives to discuss best practice and
recruitment of older volunteers. The WRVS are
particularly looking for older volunteers to
get involved in WRVS activities - visit http://www.wrvs.org.uk for
more information.
The Council for Voluntary Service offers
staff and volunteers from all parts of
North Kent the opportunity to gain new
skills through courses tailored to their
needs. Visit their website
Hilderstone
College in Broadstairs offers English Language
and TOEFL courses
Voluntary Service Overseas – no
longer the preserve of school leavers, the average
age for
volunteers on the postings (usually 2 years) is
38.
Volunteers can be aged between 20 and 75 years
old and must have a formal qualification and some
work experience. Volunteers are provided with accommodation
and a local level allowance as well as air fares
and insurance.
See the website for more information http://www.vso.org.uk/
Vinspired is a volunteering website for young people in England aged 16 to 25 offering advice and guidance on how to volunteer. It also has a search engine covering nationwide volunteering opportunities. Visit http://www.vinspired.com for more details.
Volunteer England - Website for those that manage
volunteers as well as those who wish to volunteer. http://www.volunteering.org.uk/
Payaway is a comprehensive site covering paid employment suitable for funding a Gap Year. For more information, visit http://www.payaway.co.uk/
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office site gives travel advice, country profiles and information about visa requirements. For further information, visit: http://www.fco.gov.uk/
Based on the Gap Year Guidebook http://www.gap-year.com gives advice and links to work, volunteer placements and study in the UK and abroad.
http://www.yearoutgroup.org.uk/ is an association of organisations providing gap year placements, with links to these organisation and information for students, advisers and parents/carers.
For learning opportunities in Europe:
The Socrates programme offers a range of projects
for adult learners, teachers and trainers. For
further information, visit http://www2.britishcouncil.org/Socrates
The Leonardo da Vinci project offers vocational
work placements across Europe for people of all
ages. Placements are a minimum of 3 weeks. For
more details, see http://www.leonardo.org.uk
Careers Europe provides help and advice to guidance
professionals. For more information, visit http://www.careerseurope.co.uk
Eurodesk provides information about European opportunities
and funding for people under 30. For further details,
visit: http://www.eurodesk.org
The Euroguidance network helps guidance professionals
and others to understand opportunities for learning
and careers in Europe. For more information, visit
http://www.euroguidance.net/En/Welcome.htm
The PLOTEUS portal provides information about
life-long learning in Europe, supplying information
about studying in Europe to students, job seekers
and guidance professionals http://europa.eu.int/ploteus/portal/home.jsp
European Vocational Training Association (EVTA)
aims to promote pan-European training.
For learning opportunities beyond Europe:
VSO’s overseas development youth programme, Global Xchange, is open for applications until Friday 28th March. The programme consists of a six month exchange programme for young people aged 18 to 25, partnering them with a young person from a developing country. The volunteers live and work together on community projects for three months in the UK and three months in the partner country. Volunteers will receive support to raise funds for the experience. To find out more, email Vivienne.Nwabuzo@vso.org.uk or call her on 020 8780 7344
The Association of Commonwealth Universities
has a large collection of information about study
in Commonwealth countries. For further information,
visit http://www.acu.ac.uk
The Fulbright Commission is the first point of
contact for those wishing to study in the USA.
For further details, visit http://www.fulbright.co.uk/eas
British Universities Transatlantic Exchange (BUTEX)
supports exchange programmes between the UK and
US, please click here
UK NARIC – The
National Academic Recognition Information Centre
gives details about the compatibility
of British and overseas qualifications, see http://www.naric.org.uk/
