Apprenticeship scheme boosts relationships with France

Working relationships between South Yorkshire and France are receiving a boost thanks to an international work experience scheme.

The Leonardo Mobility Project, which was established by Les Compagnons du Devoir – an employer-run organisation in France – gives trade apprentices aged between 16 and 19 the opportunity to travel abroad for a three week period, during which time they work with a company and training centre.

Last year Brice Delhougne, UK and Ireland director for Les Compagnons du Devoir, contacted Business & Education South Yorkshire (B&E-SY) to see if they would get involved in the project.

Brice said: “Business & Education South Yorkshire have extensive experience in organising work experience placements, annually planning placements for over 17,000 work experience students throughout South Yorkshire, so we were confident from the start that they would be a good trans-national partner for the project.”

In order to develop the scheme, B&E-SY was faced with the challenge of recruiting businesses to take on French plumbing apprentices, as well as finding host families to accommodate the young people.

By placing adverts in the local media and utilising the links they had already, B&E-SY engaged the support of a number of companies. Placements were made available at local authority works departments, regeneration companies as well as construction providers and independent plumbing firms. B&E-SY was also successful in sourcing 32 host families close to the work places.

The placements are designed to give the apprentices an insight into the working practices of an English plumbing business and they are expected to take on a variety of practical tasks as well as carrying out paperwork and talking to customers.

To prepare for the placement, twelve members of staff at B&E-SY took a seven week intensive course of French conversational classes in a bid to improve their communication skills with the apprentices.

Adrian Jones said: “Most of the French apprentices speak basic English, which they learnt at school.  However, we really wanted to make the effort to learn their language too, to avoid communication difficulties that can arise over misunderstood information.  The placements involve an action packed programme of work, cultural and social activities for when they arrive and the lessons will help our staff to communicate with them even better to make them feel at home and to improve their overall enjoyment on the trip.”

Through the Leonardo Mobility Project Les Compagnons du Devoir has over five thousand young French apprentices going to all parts of Europe, and further afield. In total the South Yorkshire region will have hosted 60 apprentices over a 12 month period.

The aim of the scheme is to enable young people to learn about other cultures and gain a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the education, training and working practices of other countries.

B&E-SY believe the scheme has been extremely beneficial to all involved, with the main benefit being the strong working relationship that has developed between the South Yorkshire businesses and their European partners.

Adrian Jones said: “The work placement scheme continues to be a success for B&E-SY, Les Compagnons du Devoir and our South Yorkshire construction partners. The French apprentices have been well received by each company and are full of enthusiasm about learning English plumbing methods. Many of our construction partners have expressed an interest in an exchange programme with their apprentices visiting Paris and other parts of France on placements in the future. We expect this will be the start of a major international work placement programme involving many apprentices and students from different backgrounds and trades.” 

As well as exploring future placement activities in France for South Yorkshire apprentices, B&E-SY are also looking at working with Les Compagnons du Devoir to offer a programme for older qualified French apprentices who undertake ‘journeymen work placements’ around Europe to increase the mastery of their trade skills.

For information on how to get involved in the French Apprentices Project, call Business Education South Yorkshire on 01709 336 700 or email: adrian.jones@be-sy.co.uk