Opening doors and crossing borders
West Lothian College is changing the lives of students forever through International experiences. The innovative projects, which give students a chance to study, learn and work abroad, are enhancing the employability, life skills and qualifications of over 100 learners each academic year.
Our main projects include:
Erasmus+
Erasmus+ is the EU Programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014-2021. West Lothian College aims to help close the attainment gap through its Erasmus+ projects.
West Lothian College recently hosted visitors from Sweden and Germany as part of the Erasmus+ Project. The main topic on the agenda was to discuss ‘Learning at Work' within the motor vehicle industry, with the intention of eventually rolling the scheme out over a wide-range of disciplines.
Our work with Erasmus+ offers the teaching team the opportunity to research and report on various issues around Europe, allowing us to offer advice and recommendations around best practice. One such example of this work was completed in association with the above visit from Sweden and Germany which resulted in the following four reports into ‘Work-based learning in the vehicle industry'
Comparative analysis of vocational training and work based learning in Germany, Scotland and Sweden.
Assessment of workplace quality in Germany, Scotland and Sweden.
Analysis of learners' self-evaluation tools in work based learning in Germany, Scotland and Sweden.
Tool for learners' self-evaluation of work based learning in Germany, Scotland and Sweden.
View our Erasmus Charter Certificate here.
View our Erasmus Policy Statement here.
USA Scholarship Opportunities
Katelyn Livingston, a Business Student from West Lothian College, was awarded a scholarship to Clark College, Washington, USA in 2018. Katelyn was the 2nd West Lothian College student to be offered a Scholarship to study in the USA, with Megan Waugh travelling to Clark College in 2015 to complete her studies abroad.
The Colleges worked together with SQA and Edinburgh Napier University to ensure that Katelyn could count the credits obtained at Clark College towards her Business Management Degree once she returns to study in Scotland.
See more about Katelyn's story here.
SUSTAINABILITY EMPOWERED BY YOUNG EUROPEANS
An exciting transnational co-operation between West Lothian College and schools in Greece, Spain, Germany and Denmark. Young people will be benchmarking against and comparing initiatives across Europe to integrate sustainability to the curriculum and our daily lives.
By comparing and learning from best practice it is envisaged that the best projects can be replicated across the company and speed up progress towards a more sustainable education system and environment.
The project is open to young people from the age of 14-19 and will run until May 2020.
Improving Skills Through International Learning Exchanges (ISTILE)
An exciting and innovative project to improve outcomes for young people facing difficulty and deprivation. Linked into Europe 2020 Goals and Indicators to deliver improved results to learners and motivation to staff through increased capacity to help these learners. From the period of 2015-2017, 72 learners travelled in groups of eight to nine different destinations across Europe for two week work and study experiences, which has broadened their horizons, opened new networks and changed their lives.
Funding was secured through the European Union's Erasmus+ programme as the project also met several of the EU's 2020 objectives for creating equality of opportunity in learning environments.
QMS 4 VET
This Erasmus+ funded project will run for two years until September 2020. West Lothian College is working with partners in Austria, Portugal, Germany and Netherlands to compare quality systems which lead to improvements in outcomes for our learners.
The project will run over two years and staff will meet in various locations to undertake collaborative work which will enhance their capacity to support quality related activity at West Lothian College.
More information can be found below:
Project Week Report West Lothian College