News: Europe visits bring international flavour to college courses
More than 100 Nottingham College students are getting the opportunity to travel abroad this academic year thanks to an Erasmus+ (plus) work experience programme. Trips are planned to Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Poland for students from a wide range of subject areas across the College, from Engineering to Hair and Beauty and from Tourism to Early Years and Education.
The project is designed to provide students with valuable cultural and work experience that will help in their future careers.
The first Erasmus+ trip was in November 2018, seeing 12 catering students spend three weeks working in northern Italy. They were based in Forli, a town in the heart of one of Italy’s well-loved foodie regions, Emilia Romagna. The group also visited the beautiful city of Florence on one of their days off to soak up the atmosphere and explore.
Professional Chef’s Diploma student, Ashley Chamberlain, completed a placement at Benso, a fine dining restaurant specialising in locally sourced ingredients, which features in the Michelin Guide.
Working at Benso showed me different ways to prepare and cook things. The language barrier was hard to start with, but I picked some Italian up and the communication got better quickly. Overall, it was an amazing experience.
— Ashley Chamberlain
Twenty-two-year-old NVQ Professional Chef’s Diploma student Sita Kyeremeh also went on the first trip.
I liked the opportunity to visit a new place in Italy, especially to travel and work with my friends and colleagues.
“My work experience was helpful as I had a kind boss and it taught me new skills and ideas, such as healthy eating and Italian barista skills.
— Sita Kyeremeh
The trips consist of work placements in local businesses, and for the catering students this included getting stuck in at a range of restaurants, cafes and other eateries, to learn from experienced local professionals.
The first trip was such a success that some students even received job offers for after they finish their courses.
This month has seen Engineering and Sport students also heading off to Italy, with more visits planned between now and June.
We were delighted to secure Erasmus+ funding to give students the opportunity to learn how the industry they are training for works in another country.
Living abroad for three weeks also gives them the chance to immerse themselves in another culture and make friends across borders.
Stuart Stapleton — International Project Manager at Nottingham College
Erasmus+ is a European programme designed to modernise education, training and youth work across Europe, which is running until 2020.
Published on:
- 15th February 2019 (3:46 PM)
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