Nine students from Bridgwater & Taunton College were selected in November to undertake an Erasmus+ Mobility in Forli- Italy. Erasmus+ is a programme which enables students to undertake work experience in a different country for two weeks and is fully funded for them. This opportunity is a once in a life-time chance and is beneficial both culturally and socially for our students here at BTC, contributing to their BTC Advantage.

In what was a very exciting two weeks for our students, they were able to experience a number of fantastic opportunities and cultural visits. During some of their free time, a trip to Bologna was organised for the group. This enabled them to understand the culture of the place there were staying and was then followed by a group meal of traditional Italian cuisine in the infamous Casa Artusi in Forlimpopoli.

After the weekend’s excitement, the students were back into their busy week of work placements. Sports and Public & Emergency Service students were at a local leisure centre which saw them get put through their paces in the gym but also experience a number of different classes which run in the area. Two of our Travel & Tourism students had their placement in a 5* hotel, which gave them the opportunity to see multiple aspects of how the hotel runs day today.

Finally, Sports Coaching students had the exciting opportunity of practising their skills coaching with younger children. In the evenings they would help run sessions for a local football team with multiple age groups, hoping to gain vital points of how the sessions organised but by also getting involved by leading the sessions.

I thought Italy was an amazing opportunity with the culture and my work placement, I got lots of opportunities to see and experience the authentic Italian environment and loved every minute of it.

Student, Ria Granelli-Osborne

Some students were lucky enough to go to a local school and help with their sports lessons. This was fantastic for the students as this got them engaging with numerous different people and with them taking lead and getting everyone moving and having fun.

It was amazing to see the students engaging so positively to the work experience. They showed a lot of willingness to be at their best and reacted fantastically to any work put in front of them, showing the determination they have to succeed. It was brilliant to see them grasp all the culture- this was definitely an experience which they will all remember.

Senior Sports Development apprentice, Josh Flagg

Studying abroad is a central part of Erasmus+ and has been shown to have a positive effect on later job prospects. This has also been an opportunity for the students to improve their language skills, gain self-confidence and independence and immerse themselves in a new culture.

If you would like to find out more information about the Erasmus+ programme, click here: https://www.btc.ac.uk/students/erasmus-programme/