Time Out Below are just a few of the many organisations that offer opportunities. Try looking through the Year Out Group's website for more advice and information. www. yearoutgroup. org BUNAC ( British Universities North America Club) www. bunac. org. uk 16 Bowling Green Lane, London EC1R 0QH Telephone 020 7251 3472 Offers work and travel programmes in Africa, Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, South and Central America, South East Asia and USA. Youth in Action Programme www. britishcouncil. org/ connectyouth Connect Youth, British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN Telephone 020 7389 4030 Opportunities to experience other cultures and countries. Lattitude Global Volunteering www. lattitude. org. uk 44 Queen's Road, Reading, Berks RG1 4BB Telephone 0118 959 4914 Overseas projects for 17- 25 year olds. i- i UK www. i- to- i. com Woodside House, 261 Low Lane, Leeds LS18 5NY Telephone 0800 011 1156 Operates I- Venture projects - teaching English, community development, conservation, media, sport, tourism marketing, health and building projects. Projects in 20 countries. IST Plus www. istplus. com Rosedale House, Rosedale Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 2SZ Telephone 020 8939 9057 Offers a number of cultural exchange opportunities for young people to work, study, travel or teach in locations around the world. Students Partnership Worldwide ( SPW) www. spw. org 2nd Floor, Faith House, 7 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3QB Telephone 020 7976 8070 18- 28 year olds. 6- 12 month projects in India, Nepal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. UNA Exchange www. unaexchange. org Temple of Peace and Health, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3AP Telephone 029 2022 3088 Projects offering a variety of opportunities around the world. World Service Enquiry www. wse. org. uk 237 Bon Marché Centre, 241- 251 Ferndale Road, London SW9 8BJ Telephone 020 7274 4924 Offers an information service about projects around the world. Worldwide Volunteering www. wwv. org. uk 7 North Street Workshops, Stoke- sub- Hamdon, Somerset TA14 6QR Telephone 01935 825588 Opportunities in the UK and worldwide for placements from one week to a year. Age 14+. Opportunities abroad Useful Resources Many of these will be available in your school or college, through Connexions, or in the reference section of your public library. Big Guideis published by UCAS and gives useful advice on deferring your entry into higher education. A Year Off . A Year On? published by Lifetime Careers Publishing - £ 10.95. Gap Year Guidebook published by John Catt -£ 12.95. Work Your Way Around the World -£ 12.99, Summer Jobs Worldwide-£ 14.99, International Voluntary Work-£ 13.95 and Your Gap Year-£ 13.99 are among a number of useful titles from Vacation Work. YouthAction Magazine, available from National Youth Agency, www. nya. org, 0116 242 7350. Useful gap year websites- turn to page 33. 27

28 Broaden your experience International Opportunities The following are ways of studying and working abroad: Do you know that: . up to 16% of recent UK graduates work outside the UK? . the UK economy is becoming more and more international? . the number of graduate level jobs requiring a second language is rising? . there are increasing opportunities through the ERASMUS programme to study for a part of your UK course in a European university? . many UK courses offer the possibility of studying languages alongside your major course? The labour market is becoming increasingly international. Many UK companies and organisations have customers, suppliers, partners and colleagues in countries outside the UK. Many companies are owned by foreign companies; equally UK companies have subsidiaries abroad. More jobs therefore need language skills. UK nationals have the right to live, work, study or train in any of the countries of the European Union. Many UK graduates also choose to work in countries across the world. To support this need there are increasing opportunities available for UK students to spend time studying, working, training or volunteering in countries around the world. There are also more opportunities to study languages. All students should consider the possibility of spending some time studying, working, training or volunteering outside the UK as part of their education. If you make the most of these opportunities you can develop skills and competences that will be of benefit not only within the UK labour market but also worldwide. It is also important to stress that this applies to students of ALL subjects. For example, engineers, lawyers, medical staff, accountants can all benefit from language skills and a knowledge of their subject or occupation in different countries. European countries EU members: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. EEA members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. Exchange programmes The most common way of studying abroad is through the ERASMUS programme. This programme ( funded by the European Commission) allows students to study for between 3 and 12 months of their UK course in a European university. Credits gained during this period count towards a UK qualification. In some cases they can also lead to qualifications from the host country. In addition, exchange programmes may also be available from UK universities to universities worldwide. Ask universities for more information. Full- time study UK citizens are entitled to study in any of the various types of higher education institution in the EU Member States. In most cases qualifications which are acceptable for university in the UK will be acceptable for universities in Europe. In practice, there are two main difficulties which must be overcome prior to studying a full- time course in Europe. Firstly, courses will be in the language of the host country; and secondly, it is unlikely that a grant or loan will be available from the government or your LA. A small number of UK nationals choose to study in countries beyond the EU, for example America, Canada and Australia. Work placements Other courses offer a period of work experience or employment of up to 12 months. The concept of an extended period of work experience in another European country is well known in Europe. The LEONARDO programme supported by the European Commission provides funding for work placements in Europe. The IAESTE programme can assist with organising placements for students of science, engineering, technology and applied arts. The AIESIC Work Abroad Programme can assist with organising placements in the fields of business, marketing, accounting, finance, IT, engineering or language studies. Voluntary work Opportunities for voluntary work abroad are increasing. For example, the European Commission funds the European Voluntary Service ( EVS) programme enabling young people aged 18- 25 to work in another European country. Volunteers undertake projects lasting between two months and one year, and which could include work with the elderly, children, environmental projects, or theatre or arts projects with minority groups. For further information see resources mentioned on page 27 of this publication.