Working in Wales

If you are looking for a UK partner, you can find out all about our work placements, accommodation and language courses in Wales on this page. 

We are interested in developing our network of partners and organisations in all parts of Europe.
If you would like to find out more about what we offer in Wales, please contact sharon.thomas@ectarc.com

What is the Leonardo Inward programme?

Leonardo da Vinci is the European Union's vocational training programme. It is designed to build a skilled workforce through European partnerships and it funds work placements and language courses abroad. ectarc works with many institutions around Europe that send groups of participants to Wales to learn English and gain work experience in their own field of employment or study. 

Who is the programme for? 

The Leonardo da Vinci programme is for students, graduates and professionals of 18 years of age or older. The programmes provided are of varying lengths Contact your Leonardo National Agency to find out what programmes are on offer and how to apply.
http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc1208_en.htm

What does our Inward programme include?

ectarc's Leonardo da Vinci programme includes:

• An English language course  focusing on living and working in an English-speaking     country
• A work placement matched to your area of study or expertise
• Travel costs to and from your country 
• Host family accommodation on a full board basis: continental breakfast, packed lunch and an evening meal. We always try to find accommodation as close to your work as possible.

Remember: You need to bring some pocket money with you for your social life. There is a lot to see and do and you don't want to miss out!

What can I do in Wales?

Professional:
ectarc can provide participants with useful and varied work placements. We constantly update and improve our database of host companies, whilst seeking new and interesting placements in most skill sectors.

Our partner companies in Wales are from a variety of sectors, including business, education and industry, and have welcomed our participants on a regular basis. Many participants are offered extended stays, temporary, or even permanent, employment.

The beautiful Welsh scenery is a backdrop to the many towns and cities that contribute to the thriving Welsh economy. There are opportunities to work in one of the many small Welsh companies or big multi-nationals around the country. At ectarc we can find you a work placement in most fields:

• Hotel and Catering, Tourism
• Architectural design, Industrial, Graphic and Web design
• IT, Banking, Business and Administration
• Marketing, PR, Sales and Events Management
• Accountancy, Finance, Import/Export
• NGOs, Social Work, Teaching and Nursery education
• Journalism, Photography, Film and Multimedia
• Retail, Culture and the Arts
• Horticulture, Agriculture and Laboratory work

Accommodation
Our team of experienced, approachable accommodation officers provide an efficient service and consider participants' needs and welfare of paramount importance. Our participants are accommodated in host families during both the language course and work placements. This offers the participants the opportunity to integrate into the local community and experience life with a Welsh family. The family support them with their language learning and provide meals and pastoral care.
All our host families are vetted and their homes inspected to ensure the safety of our participants. Host families offer a warm, clean and welcoming environment, but homes will vary depending on the families' occupations and lifestyles. Typically, our host families may not necessarily be made up of a mother, father and two children; many comprise of a single or widowed person, a couple with no children, older people or students. Most of our families have pets. You can be assured of a warm Welsh welcome from our friendly hosts who will help you with guidance and advice about the surrounding area and other practical matters. Self-catering is available in some host families.

Language courses
ectarc has a team of highly-qualified EFL teachers. Our language courses are designed to prepare the participants for living and working in the UK and are between 1 and 4 weeks' duration.

Methodology
Class discussion, role-play, presentations, individual, pair and group activities are all used to provide a dynamic and varied learning experience.

Key elements of the courses:

• Technical vocabulary for the workplace
• Communication, pronunciation and grammar
• Cultural and social English
• Interview techniques
• Presentation skills and role-play

Resources
Our Digilab houses state-of-the-art computers with video and audio-editing and software, a scanner, printers and free Internet and e-mail access. The facilities are often used to support language projects such as film making, producing newsletters and Powerpoint presentations. The in-house library holds a variety of resource materials including EFL text books dictionaries, DVDs, video and audio cassettes.

Assessment
Initial assessment of participants' language levels in English takes place on the first day of the course. This is done by means of a multiple-choice test lasting 45 minutes. All participants are also assessed to ascertain their level according to the Common European Framework for Languages (CEFL). A further CEFL assessment takes place at the end of the programme so that each participant's progress is demonstrated. In addition, during the language course, continuous assessment takes place through teacher observation, homework, regular feedback and self-appraisal.

A certificate of participation is issued to all participants at the end of the programme.

ectarc is a TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) and Trinity Spoken English Examination Centre.
www.uk.toeic.eu

www.trinitycollege.co.uk

Social:
Llangollen is a pleasant town, with plenty of friendly pubs where people enjoy a beer after work. The beautiful coasts and mountains of Wales are really worth exploring, with every kind of outdoor pursuit available, from walking and rock climbing to white-water rafting and canoeing. There are fascinating prehistoric monuments, medieval castles, industrial heritage sites, museums, theatres and galleries. From north-east Wales it is easy to take a trip to Manchester or Liverpool, or longer train excursions to London or Edinburgh.

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How to apply 

If you live in an EU member state outside the UK, you need to ask your Leonardo National Agency what programmes are available to you. Click the link below to find your Leonardo National Agency:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc1208_en.htm