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It’s not just work experience...it’s an experience. Full stop! 

Testimonials from our partners in Europe

APIC

“We’ve enjoyed a productive relationship with ETS ever since the early 1990s. It works because it’s reciprocal – we give their graduates some vital work experience in Italy, and our trainees get to work with some of the best UK placement companies.
Over the years, we’ve shared opportunities in most industry sectors, and built up a strong track record in fields like ICT and Architecture. Together, we make sure trainees have everything they need, from language skills to accommodation – and of course the chance to develop their skills in a challenging new work environment.”

CASE STUDY: Maria Pivotti
Maria came to APIC looking for a UK placement involving customer contact. Through ETS she was placed in Kents Moat Library in Birmingham, where she learnt about cataloguing systems and ran a computer course for over 50s.
Maria relished the multicultural environment and the chance to develop new working practices. By the end of the placement, she had developed a wide range of people skills and gained a solid foundation for working in the customer service industry.
“It was a pleasure to have Maria working with us. Her contribution benefited our workplace and challenged our work culture & practices. From the first day, she blended into the team and reached out to all the people and library groups that she came in contact with”

AIGLES

We have a long-standing relationship with ETS, who can always be relied on to find the most suitable UK placements. It’s true, there are many companies arranging placements all over Europe, but ETS provides a unique level of flexibility and personal care.
For example, some of our trainees have needed to change work placements mid-stream – perhaps because their priorities or personal circumstances have changed, or because they’ve identified a new set of training needs. Whenever this has happened ETS has been quick to respond. It’s clear they’re looking after individuals – not just filling placements.”

CASE STUDY: Karine Lascar
At the age of 42, Karine came to Aigles looking to pursue a career in tourism. The first challenge was to improve her command of English, so through Aigles and ETS, she took up a placement in a UK charity shop.
The placement was certainly useful, giving Karine the chance to practice her English and customer-facing skills. But she soon realised that she’d also need some office-based experience, so her placement was quickly moved to a charity head office. This role gave her a direct insight into the management of a busy children’s hospice, and as her English improved, she took on a considerable level of responsibility.
Karine contacted Aigles five months after her placement ended. Thanks to the Leonardo Programme, she’d secured a role as a Bilingual Secretary at Saudi Arabian Airlines – finally, a chance to work in tourism and make use of her new-found language skills.

AMT

Since 2006, we’ve been sending vocational and undergraduate students to the UK, using ETS to find work placements in all types of businesses. The placements they’ve offered are incredibly varied – from popular fields like finance and marketing to more niche areas of work. That includes AV Production, Pre-Primary Education and even Dental Prosthetics!
But in overseas training, the quality of work placements is only one consideration. We work with ETS because of the whole experience they give to our students. They always find accommodation to match individual needs, and their staff take a personal interest in solving any problems that students encounter.”

CASE STUDY: Vocational Training Teachers
This is not our usual type of project, but it does show the flexibility and support we offer our foreign partners...
AMT sent us a group of Vocational Training Teachers who were looking to set up a work-based network for pupil exchanges. During their week-long visit, we introduced them to a number of vocational training companies and set up meetings with HR contacts in firms that offer student training placements.
We also provided an introduction to the UK education system and arranged a visit to an Education Department working in European Projects.
By the end of the week, the Teachers had all the knowledge and contacts they needed to set up long-term training links with a string of UK companies.
In the words of one Teacher, “ETS made all this possible. Anyone involved in sending students or graduates to GB for work experience should speak to ETS before they do anything else.”

ZAV

“In the last 3 years, we’ve sent over 100 trainees to GB through European Training Services. As the International Placement Service of the German Federal Employment Agency we meet people with all kinds of professional backgrounds, so naturally we need to find a wide variety of placements – and ETS will always find interesting and niche opportunities.
Recently we’ve found two new placements: one in a carpentry workshop, and one in a Biomedical centre that researches treatments for animal cancers. This shows just how ETS is always pushing the boundaries: there’s no standard type of placement, so everyone gets the experience they need.”

CASE STUDY: Marjata Döll
Marjata approached ZAV looking for an opportunity in one of her fields of interest: Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainable Tourism, Organic Products and Environmental Education. ZAV contacted ETS and a placement was found with W.A.T.C.H in Coventry.
W.A.T.C.H. - 'Working Actively To Change Hillfields' - is a non-government organisation that aims to improve services and quality of life in one of the city’s most run-down communities. Marjata took on an administration and community liaison role, and chose to stay on after her placement. Today she holds a managerial position and helps to train new people joining the team.