In March 2011 ColegauCymru / CollegesWales heard that it had been successful in its first ever bid to the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme: Leonardo. The project bid's key aim is to facilitate apprentices from Wales to be given work placements in Europe.
This is the first time that CollegesWales has bid for such a European project and under the rules for first-time project organisations, there are limits to the number of apprentices it can support. CollegesWales has plans to bid again next year and is already developing relationships with new regions and countries in Europe to offer more opportunities for apprentices.
CollegesWales is also supporting students from Europe to be supported in work placements in Wales.
During this year's project, CollegesWales is working with three regions of Spain (Catalonia, Ibiza, the Basque Country) and Tuscany in Italy, and the following eight colleges in Wales:
- Coleg Morgannwg
- Yale College Wrexham
- Neath Port Talbot College
- Coleg Gwent
- Deeside College
- Coleg Llandrillo
- Gower College Swansea
- Ystrad Mynach College
The vocational areas that the apprentices are engaged in are:
- engineering
- catering
- construction
- the youth offending service
- customer service