Hospitality Ambassadors needed to learn and work in Europe 4½ monthsWould you like to give your career a major boost by learning and working abroad?Are you an outgoing and open person who likes new challenges?Would you like to be one of our first European-funded CHASE Ambassadors?...

IntroductionLight on the Path provides European internships, most often for people across Europe to come to Glasgow, but now also for young people in Scotland to learn and work abroad. As part of the CHASE network (Consortium of Hospitality and Accommodation Schools in Europe), we have Erasmus+ funding from the EU to offer four-month placements in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands and Tenerife, hosted by our CHASE partners. Our CHASE partners also send us students, five of whom are in Scotland now doing internships with Marriott Glasgow and Andrew Fairlie’s Restaurant at Gleneagles Hotel. In Scotland, we work in partnership with Marriott Hotels and HIT Scotland to bring this opportunity to you.

We have possible two opportunities – one with 7 placements February to June 2017, as described below, and a potential 8 placements 18 September 2017 to 17 February 2018 if the funding application is successful.

Placements opportunities available spring 2017 Gothenburg, Sweden – 2 Chefs Helsinki, Finland – 1 Food and Beverage or Chef Tenerife – 2 Food and Beverage or Chef Amsterdam, Netherlands – 2 Food and Beverage or Front Desk

Dates of internship, including culture and language trainingThe departure dates vary slightly, by destination:

Tenerife – Sunday, 19 February Gothenburg, Helsinki – 20 February Amsterdam – 26 February All finish on 30 June 2017

Funding:The project is co-funded through the EU’s Erasmus+ programme for Vocational Education and Training and covers the following costs for your trip – generally what you need to live and work abroad for the period of the experience

Travel and insurance Accommodation Food/food allowance Culture training in English and language training in the local language Spending money (varies by destination and what’s already provided)

You will only pay a £100 deposit which will be refunded upon completion of the debrief workshop and all paperwork

If you are working just now, you will need to check with your employer if they will be happy to continue your salary while you are away or whether you will need to take a

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leave of absence. If you are renting a flat, it would be a good idea to check the terms of your lease to see if you can sublet if you need to take a leave of absence. If you are not working and on benefits, you may need a letter explaining the training value of the placement and how it will enhance your job prospects when you return.

Language requirements The 4-week cultural programme will be in English, aside from local language lessons,

which will help you find your way around, read signs and packaging. The work placements in Spain will require the Spanish you learn in an intensive

Spanish course when you arrive. If you already have Spanish or other languages that would be a bonus.

The other placements will require a mix of English and the local language, which you can start learning before you go and continue when you arrive through live classes and an online learning tool (except Finland where it will just be live).

Eligibility:1. 18 years or older

2. UK Citizen or EU Citizen, foreign national with visa rights to live/work in the UK and must have had residency in the UK for over 3 years – all documents to be checked for eligibility.

3. Have a passport by mid-January 2017

4. Recent vocational study or training in hospitality or cooking, which could:

Studying in a vocational college course doing a vocational qualification at work working as an apprentice in completed any of the above no later than 1/7/16

Assessment criteria: Clear understanding of benefits that you will gain and commitment to make the most of

the ambassador opportunity Openness to new cultures and learning how other people do things Good social and team skills Flexibility and adaptability Good work ethic Keenness to share your experience through blogs and social media and encourage

others to take part in similar experiences

Recruitment process Read the blogs and website information and get an understanding of the project

www.europeanhospitalityexchanges.comComplete an application form at www.europeanhospitalityexchanges.com/opportunities/apply, create a 3-5 minute video, create a Europeass CV1, and get a reference – by 5 January

Interviews (bring your video) – 13 January Notification of successful participants – 16 January

1 You can create a Europass CV online at https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/editors/en/cv/compose

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Application video:  This can be filmed on your mobile phone or other means and you can feel free to be as creative as you like. To include:

Introduction What are you studying/what training are you doing? Why did you apply to participate in this Erasmus+ funded programme in Europe? What skills do you have that you feel will make you a suitable candidate for the

programme? What position are you applying for? Which country are you applying for and why? How do you think this opportunity will benefit your future? How will you be an ambassador for Scotland, CHASE placements and your school or

home employer while you are away and for CHASE, your host country and Erasmus+ when you get back?

If you are successful, your video will be shared with partners in the destination country so they can get to know you. If you choose, you can also use it for your first blog on the project website. In the case that you are not taking part in the project in February, you can just keep the video.

The programme1) Late January/February 2017 – Ambassador preparation period including

workshops on the programme (25 January, 8 February and 15 February), completion of learning agreement, culture and language and starting to use the online language tool, and to blog

2) 20 February (26 February for the Netherlands) for 4 weeks – culture and language training in the host country with CHASE interns from other countries to get you prepared for the placement and give you new skills and knowledge (support from host partners and LOTP)

3) 20 March to 30 June – internship in a 4 or 5 star hotel or possibly nice restaurant in the host country, blog, continue using the online language tool, keep in touch with host partners, LOTP and your sending employer or college if you have one

4) July to September – debrief on trip and give ideas of anything to develop further (July), spreading the word of your experience, contributing to preparation of the next group of CHASE Ambassadors from Scotland to other countries

5) September – Welcoming and getting to know the next group of CHASE interns from other countries who arrive in Glasgow and briefing the next round of interns going abroad from Scotland

6) Continue as an ambassador for European learning and blossom in your career

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Importance of taking part in the full programmeIf your application is successful and you are chosen to take part in the programme, you need to take part in the whole process, contributing and gaining as much as possible. All the paperwork and activities are essential.

As the programme is funded through the EU, we hold a contract with the UK National Agency and it is their requirement that the participants complete the full 4½ months in order to be eligible for the funding. In the participant learning agreements, we do stipulate that if the students withdraw due to a reason not considered to be an extenuating circumstance, they will be required to pay back the grant in full. It really is a fantastic opportunity however you need to be sure that you are fully aware of this as the opportunity doesn’t suit everyone. Extenuating circumstances are dealt with case by case so in the event this happens, it is documented and assessed by the UK National Agency.

Next round of placementsWe will also have placements available to some of the current destinations 18 September to 17 February 2018 and will be applying for more in Sweden, Finland, Latvia and France. If February is too soon for you, but you would like to go in September, please register your interest for that too at www.europeanhospitalityexchanges.com/opportunities/apply

Light on the Path contactSabrina Allison, DirectorEmail: sabrina@lightonthepath.co.ukTel: 07903 930781

Find out more about current interns’ experiences in Glasgow from other countries at www.europeanhospitalityexchanges.com/blog

You can also find out about Light on the Path’s wider work at www.internshipsglasgow.com

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