A PIONEERING international scheme giving English and foreign students a taste of working life at home and abroad is underway in Tavistock.
The scheme involves 13 GNVQ students from the sixth form at Tavistock College who are spending three weeks working and living in Sweden and Hungary — and six Swedish students experiencing life here.
The students have been funded by an EU scheme called Leonardo da Vinci — a coup for the college as the programme is generally reserved for further education establishments.
Graham Stoate, vice-principal, said: 'We are one of the first schools in the UK to have made a successful application for Leonardo funding.
'It is because Tavistock College has become internationally recognised for the quality of its partnerships with schools in Europe that we have been fortunate to have secured Leonardo funding.'
Mr Stoate said 'a great deal of effort' had gone into formulating the bid, but the benefits for the students would be
'enormous'.
'We believe the experience they will gain will broaden their horizons, give them much-needed self-confidence and boost their problem-solving skills,' said Mr Stoate.
The students will be working in occupations suited to the courses they are studying. In Budapest, the travel and tourism students are working in international banks or a company selling beverages for the tourist market.
In Stockholm, health and social care students will be working in schools and kindergarten.
They have travelled independently to their destinations and are responsible for themselves during their stay.
Mr Stoate said the Swedish students have settled in well with host families in Tavistock.
'We are extremely grateful to local employers for agreeing to be involved in the scheme.'
The companies providing work experience to the Swedish students are New Look, St Rumon's Infants School, Tavistock Golf Club, Woolworths and TACRA/Tavistock College sports department.