Wigan and Leigh College will give ninety-six learners completing a level 3 qualification the opportunity to take part in an exiting European work placement project. The College will send learners from the Sports department, Travel and Tourism, Catering and Construction to complete work placements in Portugal and France.• Football students will undertake a two week football coaching work experience placement with Sporting Lisboa E Benfica, a Football Club in Lisbon, Portugal. Working with this partner will give the participants the opportunity to engage with an organisation operating in the highest echelon within their chosen field of study. By gaining work experience in Portugal participants will benefit from learning and implementing different philosophies and ways of coaching. This will improve their employability by giving them a competitive advantage when applying for jobs within the UK and abroad. Participants will also develop their interpersonal skills through cultural and language training prior to their visit and through interaction with the Portuguese during their placement, adding additional value to the project.• Rugby students will undertake a two week rugby training camp in South France with Catalan Tours, who work closely with the professional rugby club Catalan Dragons. They will use specialist Olympic equipment in the state-of-the-art facilities available there, alongside the high altitude training that is unique to that geographical area. They will observe first team training as well as training with the youth academy and taking part in competitive matches against the local teams.They will benefit greatly from the experiences of witnessing professional training and lifestyles. This will impact their own training and coaching knowledge for the future and provide vital insight into the challenges of a professional athlete.• Travel and Tourism, Catering and Construction students will attend work placements in Braga in Portugal with a company called Braga Mob who specialise in delivering youth mobility projects in the area. There they will do work placements in their chosen fields with some of the employers who have excellent links that Braga Mob. They will have the opportunity to work in different roles and be taught hands-on, practical skills as they work with professionals from their chosen occupational field. They will be mentored one-to-one to ensure that all of their needs are met and that their experience is as in-depth as possible.All of the host organisations will also include a broad range of cultural engagement so that the learners come away with a full experience and can feel more of a part of the European community. The needs of individual participants will be assessed prior to their placement. If any support needs are identified an action plan will be devised and the relevant mechanisms put in place. Participants will be supported throughout their placement by the staff at the host organisations and the accompanying members of college staff. Reviews will take place on a regular basis with any issues being addressed and resolved immediately.The objectives of the project are:• To provide students with an enhanced learning experience allowing them to gain knowledge and skills to help them achieve their qualification and improve their employability.• To enhance the existing vocational programme by providing an innovative opportunity for participants to experience a different culture and way of learning and working. • To enable participants to experience an exciting and different pedagogical approach to learning and work experience, providing them with the relevant skills and knowledge sought by employers.It is expected that participants will return from their placement having gained valuable knowledge and skills to enable them to achieve their qualification and a wealth of experience to help them progress into their chosen career.