Flagship Turing Scheme unlocks third year of global opportunities for young people

• Thousands of young people from all backgrounds across the UK to get the chance to study and work abroad thanks to flagship government scheme    
• Schools as well as colleges and universities can now apply through the Turing Scheme to give students a transformational opportunity    
• Scheme aims to support young people from disadvantaged areas to progress and drive up social mobility across the UK    

Thousands of young people across the UK will be able to go on fully funded international study and work placements next year, as schools, colleges and universities are encouraged to apply to the government’s world-wide scheme.

Applications for the third year of the flagship government programme, the Turing Scheme, are open with placements available across the globe starting from September 2023.

This year over 38,000 young people had a chance to develop new skills and gain international experience in over 160 destinations across continents, from Australia to Zimbabwe.

More than half the young people taking part are from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds, helping to drive social mobility in parts of the UK where historically there have been fewer opportunities to work and study abroad.

Widening access to international opportunities in education and training is an essential component of the Turing Scheme with 33,000 participants from England, over 3,300 participants from Scotland, over 1,000 participants from Wales and over 860 from Northern Ireland.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

“I am thrilled to offer schools, colleges and universities the chance to take part in the third year of this fantastic scheme, helping extend the ladder of opportunity and giving more young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, the chance to experience other cultures and learn vital skills for life and work.

“Young people taking part will benefit from studying and working abroad, building the confidence they need for the world of work, whilst increasing growth opportunities for Global Britain.”

The scheme is open to young people at school, college, or university. A group of year 10 pupils from a school in Blackburn were offered the valuable opportunity to spend two weeks in Eswatini or Morocco in May 2022. Pupils from the Hyndburn Academy spent time in lessons with their counterparts as well as undertaking work in the local community, working with the charity All Out Africa to install drainage pipework at a care centre for local pre-school children.

Teacher Rebecca Barker-Rourke said of the experience:

“The experience has developed confidence in many of the students and will give them loads of rich examples to discuss in future applications for college, university, apprenticeships and employment.

“We are in an area that is economically deprived, and the Turing Scheme funding means we can offer this opportunity to students that would otherwise never get the chance for a trip like this.” 

Placements are funded from September 1 to August 31 each year and the scheme is managed by Capita plc on behalf of the Department for Education, with the assessment of applications provided by an independent panel of sector experts.

Cindy Rampersaud, managing director, Capita Education and Learning, said:

“We are incredibly proud to support the DfE in delivering the Turing Scheme.

“The funding offers fantastic opportunities for thousands of learners – including some of the UK’s most disadvantaged students – to travel, expand their horizons, and reach their full potential.”

Information about funding opportunities, eligibility criteria and a range of guidance and support materials for prospective applicants can be found on the Turing Scheme website.

• The application window formally opens on 14 February 2023 and will close at 4:00pm on 6 April 2023.
• The scope of activities and available grants remain the same as previous years. Education and training providers and organisations in the UK and British Overseas Territories can apply for funding for the academic year 2023 to 2024 until 6 April 2023.
• Organisations can check if they are eligible by reading the Programme Guide for the academic year 2023 to 2024, before beginning their applications with the step-by-step Application Guide.
• Additional support remains in place for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds to cover the costs of travel, passports, and visas. Exceptional costs are calculated on an actual cost basis and are specifically for any necessary additional costs incurred to support the participation of students, learners and pupils from disadvantaged background.
• In the 2022/23 academic year, there are placements over 160 destinations across the world, with every country eligible for UK participants, subject to FCDO travel advice.
• In the 2022/23 academic year, there were 23,472 applicants in higher education, 9,958 in further education and vocational education and training placements and 4,944 in schools.