Turing Project: South Essex Colleges Group students set to explore the World through Turing scheme

SECG is delighted to announce that students will be travelling to destinations across the globe this year as part of its Turing Trips scheme, offering life-changing international experiences and opportunities to develop key employability skills.

The UK Government’s Turing Scheme provides grant funding to education providers, enabling students to take part in international study and work placements. Through the scheme, learners can gain valuable global experience, build confidence, develop new skills and broaden their cultural awareness. Importantly, the programme is open to students from a wide range of backgrounds, helping to widen participation in international education.

One of the first groups preparing to depart is 30 Construction Trades students from Basildon and Thurrock College, who will be travelling to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from 4–18 March. Ahead of the trip, learners and their parents attended a social evening on campus to ask final questions and prepare for what promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The evening also featured a special cultural welcome from Thuy, Shireen and Leala of local Vietnamese restaurant Xích Lô, who brought an authentic taste of Vietnam to the college. Attendees sampled a range of traditional dishes, including fresh spring rolls, papaya and mango salad, Vietnamese street-style baguettes (Banh Mi), rice noodle bowls, rice dishes and warming noodle soups. Throughout the event, Thuy and her team shared cultural insights, explained ingredients, and offered helpful tips on local customs and etiquette to help students make the most of their visit.

While in Vietnam, construction learners will take part in the Mekong Delta Community Service Project, where they will support the local community by upgrading the frontage of a primary school. The project will involve laying a concrete yard to create a new playground space for pupils, allowing students to put their practical skills to meaningful use while making a lasting impact.

Alongside the Vietnam trip, a range of other exciting Turing placements are planned across the Group:

• Health students will travel to Banjul, Gambia (21 February – 6 March), with 30 students and three staff taking part. Learners will experience Gambian culture, embark on a safari adventure, and complete work placements at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital and Sukuta Maternity Hospital. The visit will also include a workshop with a local homeopathic medicine practitioner.
• Creative Media students will head to Seoul, South Korea (from 27 February), where they will be immersed in the country’s dynamic animation, media and digital content industries. Activities include industry-led lectures, hands-on workshops in animation, webtoons and digital drawing, visits to universities and creative studios, and cultural experiences such as K-pop dance and cooking classes.
• Engineering students will also travel to Seoul, South Korea (3–17 March), with 20 students and three staff gaining international technical and cultural experience.
• Pathway to Independence learners will visit Krakow, Poland (14–21 March). For these students, the trip will focus on developing personal and social skills, building independence, and experiencing life away from home - a major achievement for many.

Group Chief Executive, Denise Brown, said “The Turing Scheme provides our students with extraordinary opportunities to broaden their horizons, develop confidence and gain skills that will benefit them for life. These trips are about more than travel - they are about personal growth, cultural understanding and preparing our learners to thrive in an increasingly global world. We are incredibly proud of everyone taking part.”

These international experiences reflect SECG’s ongoing commitment to enriching education beyond the classroom and ensuring students are equipped with the skills, resilience and global outlook needed for future success.