Turing Scheme

Gecko has been successful in gaining Turing Scheme contracts.  Now that we have Brexited, this is the scheme to replace the EU's Erasmus Programme.  This enables gecko to continue sending our learners to Spain, Italy, Germany and Portugal, and as the Turing Scheme is global, also to the USA and Cuba.

Any learner who has completed a vocational training course with us within 12 months of starting a Mobility, will be eligible for the costs of flight, the work placement, accommodation and spending money.

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This follows on from our succession upon the closure of the previous contract; with a long history of commercial and funded Business to Business training, we are able to continue our work and pursue further engagement with employers, accommodating to their needs, contributing to their development and fulfilling their business objectives. Sole traders and those that are self employed also qualify, allowing their own personal development.

Our offer is designed to up-skill those in employment by delivering bespoke training as well as recognised accredited qualifications in a range of subjects, including: Management, Leadership, Business Planning, Social Media, Marketing, Branding, Pricing and Costing, Information Advice and Guidance, Mental Health in the Workplace and many more. We are not limited to the training listed as our expertise covers a whole range of subjects; giving us the capacity to create a bespoke package, tailoring training directly to the specific needs of each business and its staff. 

Because this programme is co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), all of our Courses can be run at no cost the the business, to a timetable that causes minimal disruption. Where businesses are located within the LEP (Black Country) training can be delivered at their own premises if appropriate. Contrarily, we have a number of our own premises which training can be held. 

To find out more and get involved, see our Skills Support for The Workforce page here.

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Gecko Programmes holds Erasmus+ funding to send professionals involved in delivering adult education services across the West Midlands to Seville, Spain. 

The project will take place between 12-18 May 2019. The aim of the course is to help adult education practitioners:
• Understand the concept & the various types of entrepreneurship
• Comprehend the difference between entrepreneurship as a method in comparison with that as a process
• Comprehend the five practices of entrepreneurship education
• Learn how to teach the five practices of entrepreneurship in the classroom
• Understand the importance of both theory & practice in teaching entrepreneurship

The course will be delivered by our Spanish partner Incoma: http://www.incoma.net 

Participants will be drawn from our own organisation and also from organisations with whom we engage to deliver our adult education service in the community, and this includes support workers as well as trainers.

In delivering this project, we are seeking to have an impact upon our own organisation, our Adult Education tutors, and the organisations in the UK with whom we collaborate, to:

• increase our capacity to operate at an EU level
• improve the way we operate with the target groups, including refugee/migrant learners
• enhance our professional environment
• modernise and internationalise the curriculum
• contribute to meeting EDP and IES goals
• participate in structured training courses, focusing upon:

   * working with refugees and asylum seekers
   * learning in a multicultural setting
   * topics of entrepreneurship, ICT and creativity
The project aims to develop 20 UK staff between 2018-2020 in our own organisation and in those organisations with whom we collaborate to deliver Adult Education.

Our target groups are: 

• experienced teachers/trainers, building professional competence in a European setting
• less experienced teachers/trainers, seeking to gain professional competence
• inexperienced teachers (currently in a support role) seeking to gain EU learning outcomes, and planning professional development
• non-formal education project leaders
• community project principals & directors
• local NGO leaders

General learning outcomes, integral to all courses, will be:

• Identifying personal objectives
• Preparing participants for implementing course content in their own classrooms  
• Providing opportunities for participants to reflect on their own practice    
• Action plan the changes and improvements to implement on return to the UK 

Courses  will also develop teachers/trainers' key competences

• Enhance participants’ skills to develop their learners’ digital skills and literacy       
• Provide a technological toolkit for educators and improve the level of key competences and ICT skills       
• Access a variety of on-line resources to promote good practice in education in a European context
• Gain in-depth knowledge of best practices & policies at school for integrating minorities, migrants and refugees’ children

At the end of the project, all participants will be provided with a Europass Mobility Document, that details the learning outcomes achieved, that will be drawn from the declared learning aims of each short structured course. Where these learning outcomes can be mapped to any or all of the three units of the UK Award in Education and Training, participants will be issued with an ECVET Learning Agreement that shows how the outcomes were attained and evidenced - contributing to the evidence base for the eventual attainment of the UK Award. All participants will be encouraged to document their complete attainments with the use of the Europass CV.

Funding:
The Erasmus+ funding will cover the costs of the course, travel, accommodation and a subsistence allowance. 

To express your interest in taking part in the programme, please email nicole.mandisodza@geckoprogrammes.co.uk or call us on 01902 834 416. ​
You can download the programme application form HERE. 

Our services are aimed at established businesses in the UK interested in tapping into the online social market to boost sales, awareness, brand, customer service, etc.

I was introduced to the adult mobility programme by Patrick from Gecko Programmes and have had the opportunity to experience the Train the Trainer course with one of my business partners Theodore Hoffman, in the Czech Republic, Prague this year for a week.

Personally, an incredible experience that has benefited me in so many ways:

• Improve my skills as a trainer and mentor
• Certificate to add to my CV
• Networking with professionals from around the world
• Experiencing a new culture and learning the language
• Challenging me to be better and more prepared
• Navigating foreign roads and public transport
• Budgeting on a daily

Due to the nature of our business we felt that this would offered multiple opportunities for me and getting my business known internationally.
The team at Gecko Programmes were incredible and made sure our flights were booked as well as providing funding for the course and covering expenses.
 
What new knowledge and skills have you acquired during your placement?
I found out so much from the course that I can now apply to my business and how I train new and existing staff. One topic especially is defining the difference between:

• Facilitator
• Mentor
• Coach

Each one of the roles I use within my business already however when delivering workshops, myself or training new members of staff. It’s essential to know which method of training is necessary for effective training.

 What kind of differences have you noticed with the work practices?
During the course, I understood more about doing business in Turkey as there were several attendees from Turkey that worked for the university and they were so engaging and enthusiastic about working together.
 
General impression, feelings, judgement about your experience abroad.
First impressions of Prague are it’s a very old country with many similarities to the midlands in the UK including the weather but a little bit colder. Public transport is straight forward to navigate in and around Prague for cheap!

Visually they’re very rich in history with most buildings dating back to 12th Century and beautifully preserved.
Due to the nature of our business we were contacted via Instagram by a few restaurants requesting that we visit them to sample their dishes and encourage our viewers to visit them. During one of our visits to a restaurant called FatCats in old town we were invited to check out their new project “Gallery 44” a new top end restaurant that’s aiming to bring in talented and renowned chefs from around the world to be an ambassador for their country and cater for the people of Prague.
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This to me is revealed to me just how serious the people of the Czech Republic are about their food. It’s astonishing even down to how and why they have such an incredible selection of beers and wines.

Which skills do you feel have improved significantly and how? 
I made a real conscious effort to learn the language and felt this was well received and opened a lot of doors “Dekuji!”.

Please describe the good and bad elements of the mobility experience...
I would say the best part for me is the opportunity to go abroad and the financial support helped to overcome the down time in business to have us out of the office.
The bad elements are major however finding the location was difficult as google maps didn’t work that well. This could be overcome with more information from people that’s been before to give clearer directions.
The fact that we had to arrange our own accommodation is bad and good as it’s tricky to figure out where exactly to stay however we had the opportunity to use AirBnB which for the 2 of us we found an apartment 8 minutes from the venue 10 minutes from the nearest metro station and tramline.
Our apartment was lovely and we got it for a 2/3 of the cost in comparison to a hotel for the same time. Therefore, I would recommend anyone going on mobility to use Airbnb.co.uk to find accommodation.

​Has this experience helped you in improving your business?
This experience has opened many doors for doing business in Prague with several restaurants and a college in Turkey.
The skills gained the course has given me huge confidence to deliver my workshops more effectively.

Check out their Youtube channel “ClickTime agency” for more on their Prague travels.

Gecko and their German partners looked after the travel and accommodation logistics, and resourced a placement in line with her vocational qualification, as well as her future career plans; Rosie was placed with Yoyo Camps, where she was tasked with teaching English to children and playing games with them. At the end of the programme, they made her a job offer, but she decided to go to Uni instead, with the plan of returning to Germany after graduation.
 
What new knowledge and skills have you acquired during your placement?
During this work placement I have found different ways of communicating with people due to the language barrier. I have also learnt different ways of socialising due to the cultural change and improving my teaching and handling methods with kids. I feel that I have learnt how to deal with kids better and how to react to them.

 What kind of differences have you noticed with the work practices?
The work environment is very relaxed as long as employees are doing what is required of them. Everyone gets along very well with each other and they are able to identify when to work and when to party. They take work very seriously as well as always keeping on time of their plans. A dress code is not an essential part of the business as long as it is appropriate, suitable and comfortable.

General impression, feelings, judgement about your experience abroad.
Overall, the experience was very good. I have met many wonderful people and have gotten to know the German culture very well. My plans have changed into wanting to move there after I finish university in order to complete my masters and start work as an English teacher.

Which skills do you feel have improved significantly and how?
My skills of working with children have improved. I have learnt how to work with kids despite having a language barrier. This I can use in my career.

Please describe the good and bad elements of the mobility experience
The good thing was that I was able to travel around the country more because of the work that I was doing. I met very interesting people who I have now made friends with and I learnt more about the culture. The bad was that even though I travelled a lot, I was not able to explore the country because of the work I was doing. I was too tired on the weekend and needed the rest for the next week.

Has this experience helped you in improving your job prospects?
I can use this as a reference in the future. Yoyo Camps thought I was hardworking and quick to learn, so they offered me a job at the end of the programme. However, as I was offered a place on the English and Creative Writing with the University of Salford, I decided to decline the offer but I plan to keep in touch with them.

In delivering this project, we are seeking to have an impact upon our own organisation, our Adult Education tutors, and the organisations in the UK with whom we collaborate, to:

• increase our capacity to operate at an EU level
• improve the way we operate with the target groups, including refugee/migrant learners
• enhance our professional environment
• modernise and internationalise the curriculum
• contribute to meeting EDP and IES goals
• participate in structured training courses, focusing upon:

   * working with refugees and asylum seekers
   * learning in a multicultural setting
   * topics of entrepreneurship, ICT and creativity
The project aims to develop 20 UK staff in our own organisation and in those organisations with whom we collaborate to deliver Adult Education.

Our target groups are: 

• experienced teachers/trainers, building professional competence in a European setting
• less experienced teachers/trainers, seeking to gain professional competence
• inexperienced teachers (currently in a support role) seeking to gain EU learning outcomes, and planning professional development
• non-formal education project leaders
• community project principals & directors
• local NGO leaders

General learning outcomes, integral to all courses, will be:

• Identifying personal objectives
• Preparing participants for implementing course content in their own classrooms  
• Providing opportunities for participants to reflect on their own practice    
• Action plan the changes and improvements to implement on return to the UK 

Courses  will also develop teachers/trainers' key competences

• Enhance participants’ skills to develop their learners’ digital skills and literacy       
• Provide a technological toolkit for educators and improve the level of key competences and ICT skills       
• Access a variety of on-line resources to promote good practice in education in a European context
• Gain in-depth knowledge of best practices & policies at school for integrating minorities, migrants and refugees’ children

At the end of the project, all participants will be provided with a Europass Mobility Document, that details the learning outcomes achieved, that will be drawn from the declared learning aims of each short structured course. Where these learning outcomes can be mapped to any or all of the three units of the UK Award in Education and Training, participants will be issued with an ECVET Learning Agreement that shows how the outcomes were attained and evidenced - contributing to the evidence base for the eventual attainment of the UK Award. All participants will be encouraged to document their complete attainments with the use of the Europass CV.

Funding:
The Erasmus+ funding will cover the costs of the course, travel, accommodation and a subsistence allowance. 

To express your interest in taking part in the programme, please email [email protected] or call us on 01902 834 416. ​
You can download the programme application form HERE. 

"I went to Seville, Spain for 3 weeks in March 2017 as a Business Admin student. I had completed my Level 2 and just started my Level 3.
 
For this, I was working in an office with a company called Incoma. Incoma is a training agency so they deliver Erasmus+ programmes including: vocational training, employment, entrepreneurship and language projects. I completed tasks using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel. I produced leaflets, flyers and spreadsheets. I also met with European students who were going on mobility and I helped a group of Spanish participants with coming to the UK.
 
The sending organisation was Gecko, the company that I work for. I was supported with information prior to the mobility and I met the group that I was travelling with.
 
Firstly, I had a Skype meeting with our receiving organisation. The purpose was to meet our contact over in Seville and let them find out about us and what work placement we wanted. I was asked a variety of questions regarding my current role, what I enjoy doing, and what I would like to do whilst on my mobility. This was done to allow time to find an appropriate work placement for us, before heading to Seville. It was helpful as it cleared up any questions that I had. I was a little nervous beforehand as I didn’t know what to expect but the interview re-assured me and gave me all the appropriate information I needed. It was also useful to meet the contact who I would be working with over in Seville (so I knew who I would be meeting and working with over there)  and to introduce ourselves via a video call had more of a value rather than emails with no real face to face engagement. Overall, the meeting was very helpful and re-assuring.
 
Secondly, I attended a group meeting / preparation session at my workplace where I met 5 others who were also going on the mobility. Each participant was from a different college (covering Birmingham, Wolverhampton and The Black Country). We were all of different creative sectors of study / work and we were of different ages between 17-25. The majority of the meeting was conducted by a PowerPoint presentation. It consisted of an icebreaker where we got to know about each other and we then get to know about Seville, where we would be staying. This included tourist attractions, things to do and see, getting around/ transport. We looked at each other’s work placements and accommodations and how to travel between each. This was helpful to have an idea prior to arriving.  We also learnt basic Spanish language to help with my stay in Seville. At the end, we were given handouts and information sheets to refer to at a later time. We also created a group chat in order to keep in contact with each other prior to and whilst out in Seville, which was very helpful.
 
TGecko supported me with subsistence allowance which was like pocket money - to pay for everyday things such as transport, food, etc. The accommodation was all organised and paid for and we had all important contact details in case of emergency. We also met with our contact at Incoma regularly throughout the mobility for a tutorial where we discussed what we had been up to and how we had got on. This was a chance to discuss any issues and share feedback.
 
Whilst I was there, I also received training on entrepreneurship and employability. This included CV writing, cover letter writing, business skills, etc. We also recorded our day to day activities in a log book to show what we had been up to, what we had learnt and where we had been. It was great to reflect on.
 
In my spare time I was able to explore, try out new foods, meet new people and socialise. I travelled to the Beach, I sunbathed and I visited attractions much as Museums, Castles and Gardens.
 
Overall, my mobility experience was brilliant. I gained confidence and became more independent. It made me spontaneous and I want to travel more now. It has had a massive impact on my development and also looks great on my CV to say that I have worked abroad. It has opened so many more opportunities for me.
 
After the mobility, the group I went with met back up at Gecko (sending organisation) a few weeks later. We shared our experiences and left both verbal and written feedback through an online questionnaire and a written report. This gave us the chance to reflect on our mobility and also to give any suggestions of what we would maybe improve.
 
To ensure that we attended the final reflection meeting, we were asked to pay a deposit of £35 at the start which was then returned upon completion of the mobility and attendance of the final meeting. The importance of the final meeting was to gain a report from each of us participants, as without this, funding is not claimable. It worked out successfully as the whole group attended, completed their reports, gave feedback and received deposits back.
 
Since completing my mobility, I have a lot more confidence and I am more spontaneous to go out and do more. I have booked multiple holidays at different destinations and I intend to continue travelling. At work, I was able to receive a promotion into a higher role. I have also been able to share my experiences with friends, family and other associates which has encouraged a few referrals to go ahead and complete the programme for their selves.  
 
I now have the responsibility of promoting Erasmus+ through presentations, event and  social media post in the hope to motivate others to participate in the same way that I did and gain similar skills, experience and achievements."

Gecko Programmes has been successful in securing over £3m Erasmus+ funding to send people to Italy, Spain and Germany.
We offer a combination of vocational training in the UK that is followed by a funded work placement and further learning with one of our European partners.
To qualify for an Erasmus+ mobility you must be currently attending a vocational training programme with Gecko or have completed one with Gecko or one of our consortium college partners in the last 12 months:

• City of Wolverhampton College
• South and City College Birmingham
• Walsall College
• Dudley College
• Birmingham Metropolitan College 
• Solihull College

You can read more about the programme here.

Gecko has funding available for certain courses, which can offer progression onto a Erasmus+ funded mobility programme. To learn more about the funded courses available, contact us on 01902 837 416.

To apply for a Erasmus+ mobility programme, email us your CV, together with the application form, which can be downloaded from here.  We aim to get back to all applicants within a week after receiving the relevant documentation, but due to the high volume of applications, this might take longer. We thank you in advance for your patience.

Please see below the dates for 2018-2019:

AUTUMN 2018
Long Programmes​

• Coruna, 30 September- 26 November 2018, 60 days

Short Programmes

• Florence, 17 October - 06 November 2018, 21 days - to be confirmed
• La Coruna, 17 October - 06 November 2018, 21 days
• Lanciano, 18 October - 06 November 2018, 20 days
• Seville, 18 October - 06 November 2018, 20 days

WINTER/SPRING 2019
Long Programmes 

• Seville, 22 January - 28/02/2019, 40 days
• Lanciano, 20 January - 17 March 2019, 59 days
• Florence, 24 January - 03 March 2019, 41 days
• Berlin, 13 January - 11 March 2019, 60 days
• Coruna, 13 January - 11 March 2019, 60 days

Short Programmes 

• Florence, 13 February - 05 March 2019, 21 days
• La Coruna, 14 February - 05 March 2019, 20 days
• Lanciano, 14 February - 05 March 2019, 20 days
• Seville, 14 February - 05 March 2019, 20 days

I have recently been successful in securing the role of EuroApprentice with the Erasmus+ National Agency in the UK, and tasked with raising awareness of Erasmus+ opportunities in the vocational education and training (VET) sector.

I applied as a participant who has previously been on a mobility project, working in another European Country through the Erasmus + Programme. I was lucky enough to be selected as one of the final 4 successful applicants in the UK and I am delighted to have been given this opportunity to share my experiences and encourage others to go ahead and gain the experience that I have.

"The role of a EuroApprentice is to enhance the visibility of the Erasmus+ programme in their home country and motivate other apprentices, enterprises and VET providers to participate in the programme by sharing their own experience of learning abroad and its benefit for personal and professional development.
EuroApprentices are members of a network of Erasmus+ funded apprentices selected by Erasmus+ National Agencies in Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Italy."
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I was able to get involved with this as I completed a mobility in Seville, Spain in March 2017, where I worked in the Business Admin industry, working in an office for 3 weeks. The mobility itself has opened many opportunities for me both personally and professionally - enabling me to continue onto this new programme as well as being able to progress at work, whilst attaining new personal and professional skills.

My role as a EuroApprentice is to enhance the visibility of the Erasmus+ programme and motivate other apprentices, enterprises and VET providers to participate in the programme by illustrating my own experience of learning abroad and its benefit for personal and professional development.
The responsibilities I have under this role are to:

• Complete 1 - 4 social media engagement activities: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.
• Complete 1 - 2 presentations / event engagement activities

I was also privileged enough to attend a funded EuroApprentice Network Meeting in Vienna, Austria from 28th - 30th May 2018. There, I met with other EuroApprentices from different countries in the EU, including: Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Malta, Spain and many others.
During my stay I was able to do sightseeing activities, I had a tour of the city and I was also lucky enough to meet and greet the Austrian President, Alexander Van der Bellen. I also participated in Social Media, Video Making, Project Planning and Presentation Skills Activities.
Overall, the whole EuroApprentice journey so far has been overwhelming and I am excited for what is to come in the future. I would recommend this programme to anyone spontaneous, looking to gain experience, looking to travel or looking to develop themselves.

Gecko Programmes is going to host the TeBeVAT [Validation of informal learning in the professional field of event technicians] project closure event in Wolverhampton on the 5th July 2018.

We will not try to explain “TeBeVAT” in German, but suffice to say the project is about confirming the competence of sound engineers across Europe. These professionals are famous for their ability and also for their lack of qualifications. There are wonderful stories of how people came to be sound engineers.  How many you ask? One ,two..One..One, Two…One

The event will feature presentations on the tools developed by the project, and how they can be used in the entertainment technology industry.

TeBeVAT is a pilot study about identification, recognition, assessment and validation of informal and non-formal competences and skills for occupations within the entertainment technology industry. 

EVENT PROGRAMME
VENUE: 101.8 WCR FM | Newhampton Art Centre | Newhampton Road East | Wolverhampton | WV1 4AP,  Get directions, http://wcrfm.com/
 
10:00 AM        Opening/Get-together at WCR FM Studios – coffee/tea/finger buffet
10:30 AM        Greetings to the meeting and the event (Gecko Programmes)
10:35 AM        Presentation of the TeBeVAT-Recognition Process and the Lifelong-Learning-Document-Tool                                   (Randell Greenlee - VPLT, Germany)
10:45 AM        Candidate/Mentor role play Life-Long-Learning-Document-Tool candidate/Randell Greenlee (VPLT,                             Germany)
11:30 AM        Coffee break
11:45 AM        Presentation of the TeBeVAT-Recognition Process: Assessment (Chris van Goethem  - STEPP,                                       Belgium)
12:00 PM         Begin role play Candidate/Assessor = Assessment
12:30PM          Presentation of the TeBeVAT-SLOM = Semantic Open Learner Model (Chris van Goethem - STEPP,                               Belgium / Randell Greenlee - VPLT, Germany)
12:45 PM         Open Discussion – Chris van Goethem  - STEPP, Belgium / Randell Greenlee - VPLT, Germany)
13:00 PM         End of Event/Get-together – coffee/tea/finger buffet

We invite anyone operating within the creative industry, education, events management/entertainment technology industry to come along to the event. This will be a great opportunity to find out more about recognition of prior learning within the industry and network with recognised names  in the events management/sound technology sector from Germany, Belgium, Italy, Austria and Netherlands.
Drinks and refreshments will be provided. Please confirm attendance by emailing us at [email protected]  or at 01902 837 416

ABOUT THE DELEGATES
BFM, Germany
The Business Management Research Center for questions of the SME sector (BF / M) at the University of Bayreuth is a non-profit association which was founded in 1979 and has set itself the goal of science and industry to interlock with each other by economic research results in business be transferred and can be held empirical studies. The main focus is clearly on small and medium enterprises.
STEPP, Belgium
STEPP is the professional association of producers, designers and technicians of the arts and event sector. The association represents stage technicians, scenographers, producers and architects throughout the entire cultural spectrum.
STUDIO CENTRO VENETO, Italy
Established in 1968, the ‚Atelier Studio Centro Veneto‘ is an Italian organisation that offers specialized services in Consulting, Research and Education institutions, entrepreneurs and professionals. Since 1983 they’ve worked on the theme of Intergenerational Transfer and have since developed a wide range of tools to better address the process.
SV-wtu, Austria
The SV-wtu event technology company is an Austrian organisation, which provides premium-class event services. The company consists of a team of four, specialising in setting up events such as galas, balls, concerts, theatres and company parties.
VPLT, Germany
The VPLT is a technical orientated industrial association. Its members are developers, manufacturers, distributors, installers, services and production-companies of the media and event-technology-industry.
...[osat, Netherlands
OSAT stands for Overleg Scholing Arbeidsmarkt Theatertechniek. It was founded in 2000 and coordinates the consultation between the field of work and the stage education.

For further details on the TeBeVAT project, please visit the project website at: ​https://tebevat.eu/