The FINANCIAL — 100,000 young people in the UK will have the opportunity to work or study overseas over the next three years, under plans announced by the British Council at a reception to celebrate the organisation's 80th birthday.
The event was attended by HRH The Prince of Wales, Vice-Patron of the British Council for 30 years, and marks the start of a new drive to encourage the UK’s young people to gain more international skills and experience. Research with UK businesses identifies gaining greater confidence and skills to work globally as crucial for improving young people’s employability and the UK’s overall global economic competitiveness.
The opportunities offered through the British Council include large-scale university student exchange schemes such as the EU-funded Eramus+ programme, thousands of jobs working as an English-language teaching assistant in up to 13 countries, and a new programme in China that offers academic scholarships for up to a year, and two month funded internships with top companies.
“The British Council is offering 100,000 young people the opportunity to study or work abroad over the next three years. For the UK to prosper in the global economy, we need our young people to have the experience of living in another country and learning its language. The CBI and British Chambers of Commerce tell us that the UK’s long term economic prospects in part depend on more young Brits having the ‘cultural fluency’ to work well in international businesses," Sir Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the British Council, said.
“The window is open for our young people to get the international skills they need, from spending part of their degree studying in a European city, to teaching English in Latin America or working as a intern for a top company in Shanghai,” he added.
“In the modern, global economy it’s vital that our young people have the skills, experience and determination to compete internationally. Studying or taking up a job overseas through schemes like the British Council’s can broaden horizons and expose young people to different cultures, languages and working practices that can only help them in their future careers,” Neil Carberry, CBI director for employment and skills policy said.
In partnership with a range of other organisations over 30,000 opportunities will be available in 2014/15 for young people to apply for across 86 countries. Details listed can be found on the British Council’s dedicated ‘Study Work Create’ website. All of the opportunities available through the British Council come with funding, provided by the EU, national governments, businesses or the British Council itself, according to the British Council.
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