A group of apprentices have experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity with a two week visit to learn from their counterparts in Sweden.
Following a successful funding bid by Durham County Council earlier in the year, the apprentices from the council’s Regeneration and Economic Development service spent the fortnight working at the local authority of Vastra Gotaland, Sweden’s second most populous county. The visit was fully funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme which aims to offer opportunities for people in the UK to study, work, volunteer, teach and train in a different part of Europe.
Based with the Swedish authority’s External Relations team in Gothenburg, the apprentices spent two weeks learning how the issues of regeneration are tackled in Sweden and all about the different social and economic challenges the country faces.
Vastra Gotaland has successfully completed a number of regeneration projects and, as well as experiencing the different culture, the apprentices spent their time learning different ways of working and best practice from their hosts. They are now in the middle of writing a report to present to the council’s Regeneration and Economic Development management team on how their time in Sweden could provide ideas for future regeneration projects in County Durham.
Business administration apprentice Aaron Broomfield, said: “It was an amazing experience and we learned so much. All the apprentices felt that the trip massively improved our networking skills as well as boosting our self-confidence. Seeing the sights in Gothenburg and experiencing the Swedish culture is something unique that we’ll never forget. We learned a lot from the Swedish authority, both about regeneration and the wider organisation, and we’re really looking forward to presenting our findings to the management team.”
Cllr Neil Foster, cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “With youth unemployment an issue in County Durham it’s vital that the council leads by example which is why our apprenticeship programme is so important.
“The Erasmus+ scheme has not only allowed us to give the apprentices the best possible chance in their future career with this once in a lifetime experience but we’re also hoping that what they’ve learned can benefit the council and the residents of County Durham.”
