• 

  Take advantage of opportunities to increase your knowledge and update your vocational expertise.

  
• 

  Your staff can renew their practical and vocational skills through work-based placements.

  In turn this can benefit the performance of your FE organisation and enhance your learners' achievements.

  
• 

  Give your company a shortcut to the next generation of talent, whilst simultaneously helping to shape the skills of the nation's workforce.

  

Business Interchange has supported FE organisations to keep their learning provision current and sharp.

It has also encouraged and supported further development of organisation and industry links, on a local and national level.

Around 1,500 teachers, tutors and trainers have taken part in a structured work placement with a local or national business.

By undertaking these placements, teaching staff have benefited both their students and their organisations by developing the curriculum, improving links with businesses and achieving their CPD requirements.

Business Interchange was part of the Catalyst programme, which has now come to its planned end. Therefore Lifelong Learning UK is no longer able to support or facilitate any more placements. Having said that, if you are interested in setting up a work placement programme within your organisation a comprehensive toolkit with advice and resources is available for managers, and teachers, tutors, or trainers, on the Excellence Gateway at http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=277793

These tools will give you everything you need to coordinate structured work placements without any external support.