UCB is an experienced promoter of mobility projects and plans to send a group of FE students to six different destinations across Europe. Using existing contacts, UCB is able to offer suitable placements to students who are studying a range of level 3 vocational programmes including travel & tourism, sport, hair, beauty, chef, hospitality and early years. A project team will be established to include the project coordinator who will oversee the operations of the project and work with a team of destination mentors as well as a finance assistant, marketing experts and a language coordinator. The aim is to give participants the opportunity to improve employability skills to increase their chances of securing employment in a highly skilled workforce. In addition, the project will assist with building other personal skills such as confidence, communication and independent living. The aim is to send 80 participants on a 3-week work placement in Portugal, Cyprus, Denmark and three different regions in France. Participants are aged between 17 to 19 years old and are from a variety of backgrounds, with the majority being female. A high percentage of participants are from underprivileged backgrounds and this project is the ideal platform to develop themselves and experience an opportunity that would otherwise be unavailable. The placement opportunity is open to all FE students who are invited to apply in the form of a CV and accompanying letter. Students will go through a rigorous selection process. If offered a place on the project, participants will attend weekly sessions with mentors in order to build rapport with peers and mentors. Weekly sessions will involve team building activities, fact finding and social events. Participants will also attend weekly language sessions which consider the vocational settings. Information about the destination, placement and what is expected will be provided throughout this preparation period. Participants will be accompanied by an experienced destination mentor who, where possible, will also have knowledge of the vocational area. Mentors will assess and monitor participant progress whilst visiting participants on placement and will offer full support and guidance. A full itinerary will be planned in advance so that participants have a detailed daily account of activities. Participants will work 5 days out of 7 and will attend cultural visits on other days and also meet with mentors at the end of each day to evaluate events. Participants will also be required to attend one-to-one tutorials with the mentors where targets will be set and monitored. Participants will be placed in a range of different settings to include: • travel & tourism participants working as holiday/children’s reps or entertainers. • Sport participants will work in water parks as lifeguards or as gym instructors in hotel leisure centres. • Hair participants will work in salons in hotels or college commercial salons. • Beauty participants will work in beauty salons or 4* spa hotels performing and learning new treatments. • Chefs will work in large hotel kitchens or small family run restaurants some of which are Michelin starred. They will work in all areas of the kitchen including preparation, cooking and on the passé. • Bakery participants will work in small bakeries/patisseries making specialist breads and chocolates. • Hospitality will work in large hotels, mainly front-of-house in busy tourist resorts. • Early years participants will work in schools, nurseries and crèches working with children up to 6 years. Participants will attend an evaluation session and meet with the project team in order to evaluate all aspects of the project. These meetings will be recorded and put onto DVDs and will be disseminated to all parties concerned including host partners. Marketing will meet with some participants and complete a write up on their experience which will be shown on UCB’s website and Facebook page. Information will also be used to promote the project in the University prospectus and at open events. The project coordinator will be in communication with all host partners on a regular basis to ensure as much preparation as possible is completed in advance of the placement period. The project coordinator arranges flights, accommodation and ground handling arrangements in advance and in conjunction with host partners. The coordinator will organise preparatory visits to any new destinations.