Dino Rhino is born!

After lots of planning and preparation, work on TTPL's Dino Rhino has begun.

The name may sound like a bad B movie, but it's actually part of Paignton Zoo's Great Big Rhino Project. Be sure to look out for the 30 life-size rhinos that will be scattered around the streets, parks and open spaces of the English Riviera and Exeter this summer. The fantastic project is raising funds for the conservation of endangered Javan and Sumatran rhinos.

If you can't wait until the summer, the TTPL-sponsored Dino Rhino is on display as it comes to life at the Spanish Barn in Torquay. Local artist Jess Miller has the slightly daunting task of intricately painting the life-size rhino and is already doing a stunning job.

Jess is currently studying at Plymouth College of Art and specialises in wildlife portraits. Having already painted a life-size gorilla as part a previous Paignton Zoo project, we are all confident that Dino Rhino is going to be brilliant!

More information on the project can be found here: http://www.greatbigrhinos.org.uk/

TTPL Student Ambassadors - One Year On!

Our ‘Student Ambassador’ scheme has been running for a whole year now and has been even more successful than we dared hope.   The role was created to act as a link between us and our students; to offer a more inclusive approach to our welfare and support.

From Susi and Nikolas to Jonathan and Nuria, they have all been outstanding in their attitude and commitment, they've immersed themselves in their UK experience and helped so many other students along the way.

Our nominated Ambassadors act as a link with our students,  sharing helpful hints and tips for enjoying life here in sunny Devon, keeping everyone up to date with the social scene and local events and generally ensuring all our students are happy with their whole experience, especially outside of the workplace.

As well as attending our weekly cultural and social meetings, where they help our students enjoy visits to local tourist attractions, activities such as bowling or experience a real Devon Cream Tea, they also come along to our weekly Conversation Café’s to encourage everyone  to mix and chat in English about their experiences and (more importantly) make plans for the weekends!

Last week we said goodbye to Jonathan in Exeter and welcomed Clara to the role.  

Nuria will also be leaving shortly and so the hunt is on for our next Torbay Student to take on the baton, and so it continues . . . 

Moving on…

Work Placement Manager Ian is moving on!

After 8 years, hundreds (thousands) of students, many trips abroad and so many laughs it is impossible to count, I have decided to take a huge leap of faith and take up some freelance opportunities supporting local businesses with their Social Media (among other things)! The time is right for me to join the army of self-employed, small business owners and get out there!

Thankfully, my relationship with the TTPL Directors is such that I am able to move on and still maintain a great relationship with them and the company. I will also be retaining some aspects of the role that I have enjoyed for so long; teacher and delegate visits, some of the social media activity and the occasional work placement start when needed.

Really…how could I possibly draw a final line under TTPL!

All this means that my last ‘official’ day at TTPL towers will be the 19^th February – exciting times indeed.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the entire TTPL team; Jayne, Wendy and Nadine, without their support this would not be possible. Vicky, my opposite number who keeps the office running and generally makes sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible; Jo and Aaron, ‘My’ team…it is so much easier to move on knowing that they will continue to offer the right support to the many hundreds of work placements that I have had the pleasure of working with during my time here. Not forgetting Debra, Andrea, Dan, Tanja, Shirley, Lisa and of course Gemma (currently on maternity leave), you have all played your part and helped make TTPL the amazing place it is today and given me many happy memories.
Last night we spent a few hours at the Visto Lounge; some drinks, some reminiscing and a lot more laughs...along with some very generous gifts - what can I say!

I will miss you all but am happy that I will be able continue to work alongside you.

Thank you all

Ian

x

A belated 'Thank You' to Alan & Marysa at Harbour Breezes

Marysa, Nadine, Alan and Jo

You may recall that just before Christmas we held an event at the Palace Hotel to celebrate the support we get from our many and varied Work Placements. At the end of the event Celebrating Business Partnerships we presented some special awards to employers who have stood out in the past years, based on feedback from our students..
One of those employers, Alan Freeman of Harbour Breezes, was unable to attend as he was out of the country. He is now back and came to our offices this week where we had a small celebration (with cake and coffee) to present Alan and Marysa with their Certificate, some chocolates and of course a bottle of something fizzy.
After the presentation Alan said "It has been a pleasure, it is like having a big extended family. Its amazing, I am still in contact with Florian, a Romanian student who was my  first student from back in 2004. Hosting students from TTPL has always been a great experience for us"
Thank you Alan, for your continued support, your patience and for always being there to look after our students, particularly those students who are, perhaps, a little homesick.
Nadine added "We all appreciate what you and Marysa have done for our students and are looking forward to many more years of collaboration - here's to a successful 2016."

If you would like to be part of the TTPL network of businesses please give us a call.

A new work placement officer - welcome Aaron

It was two months ago I set foot inside TTPL headquarters for my first day of work with the team, and what a great time I’ve had so far! Not only have I had the opportunity to get to know the team, but I’ve also been out and about meeting employers, host families and of course some of our awesome students! It’s great to get out and see everyone having so much fun, it really puts into perspective what an immense opportunity it is to experience one of our programmes.

Having completed a course myself in Spain during 2013, I know first-hand what it’s like to be a student in another country working away from home. And with the combination of coming from a background of varied job roles, I seem to have found my perfect vocation here at TTPL and I’m really enjoying getting to grips with work placements. Alongside Jo and Ian, I’ll be helping to find the perfect location for students to work during their stay in Devon. I’ll also be looking to monitor progress and ensure the very best work experience from start to finish.

The experience here in Devon doesn’t just end at home-time however….there’s always more places to go and there’s always more people to meet in the evenings and on weekends! If you have a spare evening free, maybe you might like to come and watch my band play at one of the many local venues which play live music most days of the week! I’ve been playing music as a local musician for over 10 years and I can definitely say that Devon is the place to be if you’re into live music with bustling atmospheres and great people.

So….after some seriously festive fun, it’s hard to believe I was a stranger to TTPL just two months ago. But now Santa has fled the building and I’ve had time to reflect on a great couple months, it’s time for us now to look forward to the exciting year ahead! I’d like to wish everyone involved with TTPL a very happy and prosperous new year and look forward to meeting you all in 2016!

A Celebration of South Devon Business Partnerships

The Training Partnership have been celebrating another record breaking year by thanking some of the many businesses that they work with in South Devon. The breakfast event held at The Palace Hotel in Babbacombe was staged to present the invited employers and businesses with certificates to recognise the work they do helping and mentoring students from all over Europe.

Around 70 companies attended and enjoyed a buffet breakfast before Nadine Stroud, Business Development Director from The Training partnership spoke about the past 12 months students. She [Nadine] highlighted the fact that 87% of all this years’ students scored their placement at 8/10 or above, with an amazing 41% scoring a 10/10. Reflecting on 2015 she said “We have a fantastic and growing number of companies across Devon that we work with to secure placements for graduates and undergraduates. The feedback this year has been fantastic.”

Dan Pritchard, Managing Director, of PR, Marketing and Design Agency Astley Media, said: "At Astley Media, we’ve had marketing graduates who have quickly become part of the team, and a real asset. What’s great is that we’re helping them develop their skills and confidence as they progress in their career, and they support us on a range of projects and do a very good job. We still stay in touch - it’s helping us build a network of contacts from Barcelona to Hamburg!" 

After the main presentations there were special certificates for three, of the many, business who have gone ‘above and beyond’;

James Hull of Kents Cavern for, among other things, his ‘long service’ with TTPL. Kents Cavern accepted their  first student was way back in 2002. James said “They are very motivated, having already made the decision to leave home and come abroad and work in a new environment to progress their career. For us, it’s about giving them the opportunities to develop, so we make sure there’s variety in what they do.”

Maureen De Gori Murden from Exeter City Council for her excellent promotion of the Erasmus+ programmes. On receiving the certificate she said “The people we’ve worked with have been absolutely amazing. They quickly become part of the team. They are skilled, knowledgeable, efficient and their English has always been impeccable.”

Finally to Alan Freeman of Harbour Breezes for the level of support and mentoring he gives to those students who need just a little more support. Although Alan could not be present he will receive his certificate when he is back in Devon.

We are anticipating a growth in student numbers, particularly in the engineering and media sectors sor more information contact us at www.ttpl-uk.com / info@ttpl-uk.com

Our latest recruit on his first month at TTPL

My first month has flashed by at The Training Partnership, so now’s a great time to take a moment and reflect on what’s happened.

I was first interested in TTPL as I thought it would be a chance to express and share my love for Devon. Having grown-up here, I feel privileged to live in such a lovely part of the world. From misty winter walks on Dartmoor to sunny summer days Torbay, I’m extremely fond of the area. Just for the record, the correct order of a cream tea is cream then jam and Devon (not Cornwall) do the best pasties!

It’s hard to believe but my first day was exactly a month ago. I was glad to find out I wasn’t the only ‘new boy’ as Aaron started as Work Placement Officer the same day. As Office Administrator, I’m helping to ensure everything is in place to give students a smooth and happy stay.

I’ve also had plenty of opportunity to meet our lovely current students, visiting Kent’s Cavern, bowling in Torquay and spending every other Wednesday evening at the Exeter Language Café. This now runs in addition to the Torbay meet-up on a Tuesday evening and it’s great to see so many attend. It’s brilliant to see so many close friendships forming and nice for me to give advice on their next weekend’s adventure! Having travelled myself, living and working in foreign countries, I can seriously appreciate any welcoming local who can give some handy hints!

The office is looking extremely festive thanks to the efforts of our current student Mathis and as 2015 swiftly comes to an end, I look forward to the future in 2016 with TTPL.