Sharon Thomas Llangollen, North Wales

An Introduction to the Leonardo Programme, Wales

Contents:

• ECTARC

• At ECTARC and language course.

• Accommodation.

• The work placement and what to expect.

• What to bring with you.

• About Wales.

ECTARC

• ECTARC stands for the – The European Centre for Training And Regional Co-operation

• ECTARC is a registered charity and non-profit making organisation

• ECTARC was set up in 1988 to promote European Co-operation, Culture and language development.

• We have business links all over North Wales, Cheshire, Shropshire and Cardiff

• We have companies that cover many different job aspects such as: Marketing, Finance, Administration and secretarial work, Tourism, IT, Graphic Design, Translation, Teaching, Sports and Leisure, Hospitality, Retail and Radio to name but a few…

The language course

•Your language course will be over 2 weeks.

•Arrive at 9.00am on Monday morning for welcome meeting.

• Meet ECTARC teachers and office staff.

• An induction one on one with Amy or James to discuss work placements.

The language course:

• Language test and split into groups according to ability

• Improving on speaking and listening.

• Improve professional vocabulary

• 4 days a week, from 9.30am to 4.00pm, with breaks

• Free internet and e-mail access.

Remember: ECTARC Staff are here to help with any problems you have during your time in Wales.

Your accommodation

• The programme uses home stay accommodation, this means that you will share someone’s home, as a member of the ‘family’.

• Our ‘families’ are all different you could live with a busy single person and a dog, a retired couple and a cat or a mother and father with lots of children.

• Please do not expect internet in your home, we cannot guarantee it.

• During the language course you will stay in Llangollen, please be prepared to share a twin room with an other member of your group.

• You will then move to live as near as possible to your work placement This could be anywhere in Wales.

• Home stay can be very rewarding as you will get to see many aspects of Welsh culture.

• Respect between participants and host families is important, please remember this is a family's home not a hotel!

• Your host homes will be as close as possible to your places of work but please be aware that the transport in some areas does not run all night and there may be fewer services on the weekend.

The Work Placement

• We have work placements all over Wales, please be prepared to work anywhere in the country.

• Standard working week is Monday – Friday (35 – 40 hrs depending on the company) In areas such as hospitality you maybe be on a rota

• Some companies may require you to work weekends

• We will match your job as closely as possible to your chosen field, you must be prepared to be flexible.

• Please be prepared for cultural differences in the work placement, work ethic, management style, relationships with colleagues, differences in break times.

• Be realistic in your expectations. You must be prepared to be flexible.

Please Be Aware !!

You will receive details about your work placement on the first day of the language course and not before.

You will receive details of your work placement accommodation on the last day of the language course and not before.

The work placement interview

Before you start the work placement, you will have an interview at the company. This interview is very important. The teachers will help you to prepare for the interview, but it is also a good idea to think about the following things before you arrive:

• Can you explain about your studies, skills and work experience in English?

• Can you talk about your career plans / hopes for the future in English?

• Can you explain your reasons for taking part in the programme in English?

• Can you explain what you want to achieve from the programme?

You may be able to speak about these things in your own language, but can you do it in English?

ECTARC staff will take you to the interview and be there to support you through it.

Don’t forget to bring suitable clothes for the interview – jeans and a t-shirt are not appropriate!

• Remember that you will be a temporary worker and will have to adapt to the organisation’s work ethic, their deadlines and other priorities.

• You will not be able to work at the same level as you would as an employee in your own country this is because of your language level and being a placement student. Please be aware of this.

• A job is what you make of it. You must be flexible and adapt to the work to get the most from the experience.

• Different jobs and organisations present different opportunities to speak English.

• Please remember that the Leonardo Programme is not a holiday.

• Some participants find the transition from the language course to work placement challenging. You will move away from friends to live and work independently, please remember to give yourself time to adjust.

The Work Placement

Things to think about:Things to think about: Are you happy to live in some body else’s house under their rules?

Are you able to respect a family’s home and way of life and willing to live as part of the family?

Are you happy to help around the house and do your share of tidying?

Are you happy to eat food that is prepared by someone else? Are you happy to cook for yourself?

Can you live in a small city/ town? Are you happy to live in a rural setting?

Can you be flexible in your workplace, work at a different level and adapt to a different working culture?

Are you prepared to travel to work for up to 30 minutes using public transport or walk to work?

Can you live without: the internet, your car, your friends, your family, your language?

Can you be open to another culture and way of life that is different? Colder weather, Different food, Different meal times, Different way of life!

Programme Dates

Two groups of 15 participants:

1st Group 4th April – 9th July 2010

Teachers must be available for these dates

2nd Group 13th June – 17th September 2010

Best dates for Tourism and Hotels

What to bring with you

• European Health Insurance Card & any other travel insurance documents.

• Spending money ( You must bring this. approx. £60.00 for each week in Wales)

• Suitable clothes for work (you cannot wear jeans in most UK offices)

• Its good to bring a Laptop (if you have one)

• Job specific tools or clothes, e.g. for hairdressers

• Documentation, for working with children or young people

• A dictionary

• Clothes for all seasons – January is very cold & March/April are very wet!

• A plug adapter (EU > UK).

• Medication – if you take regular medication bring enough for your stay.

• A letter from your doctor in English, if you have a medical condition.

Things to know about Wales…………….. “ Llangollen is a very nice, small town with a lot of sights and places to visit and with the nicest people you can imagine” Irina Waal 2009

• North Wales is a very beautiful part of Britain, mostly rural with towns such as Wrexham and Bangor with nearby Chester, Oswestry and Shrewsbury.

• Language: Welsh and English, about 20.8% of the population Speak Welsh.

• Wrexham is a typically ‘working class’ area with a proud industrial heritage. • Chester is a more affluent, historical City with buildings dating back to the Roman times. •Llangollen is a small town with an international flavour and a welcoming atmosphere.

• Visit: Liverpool, London, Manchester, Ireland, York, Edinburgh, OxfordThe river Dee, Llangollen

Wrexham town centre Walled City of Chester

Participants on work placement 2009

Alain at Plas Madoc Leisure Centre

Nerea at Glyndwr Finance Department

Robert at Frozen Moon Productions

Daniela at the Phillips Hydrocolloids Research Centre

Past Leonardo Participants

• Open mind, Language skills, confidence in myself, intercultural skills (Miguel, Malaga 2009)

• Its good for me and my future, because its very important to speak English! (Christina, Spain 2009)

• Freedom, ability to stay alone, growing inside, meeting different people. (Simona Italy 2009)

• From now on I can apply for a job where English skills are requested. I’m not bilingual of course but I’m better than before! (Johanna France 2009)

• I took this period of three months in the UK as a test period because I am considering the possibility to live and work in this country. The programme gives the opportunity to live with a British family, the best way to understand life abroad. (Elena Italy 2009)

• I have learnt that when I am self confident I get the things that I want, I get more responsibility and I feel better! (Anna, Germany 2009)

• For my professional life now I know I can work abroad and that I can express myself and my technical knowledge in English. I’m now sure I can stay in another country having a good social life and human relationships. (Marco, Italy 2009)

Social Time!

French and German Participants with ECTARC staff, party Sept 2009

Evening social, Wrexham

Hungarian Cultural Evening,

participants and host families

“When you are abroad you have to make an effort to adapt yourself in the new culture. My recommendation is: take advantage of all the opportunities that you see (meet new people, travel and do activities…) Don’t be shy!!” Eulailia Catalonia 2009

Any questions?