Students at Shrewsbury College are celebrating after receiving the news that €60,000 of funding has been secured to allow once-in-a-lifetime educational trips to Greece to continue.

The two week all-expenses paid work placement, in the exclusive southern Greek resort of Glyfada, Athens, was first introduced at the College in 2012.

Originally funded by the Leonardo Programme, the experience offers Hospitality & Catering and Travel & Tourism students the unique chance to improve their skills and gain valuable experience in their trades, whilst taking part in rich, diverse and cultural work based and social activities.

The €60,000 funding which was secured earlier this month by European Union Student Exchange programme, Erasmus, will allow students studying in their second year to travel to Athens later this autumn.

“We have taken students to the Glyfada seafront hotel for the last two years and it has been a fantastic experience for everyone involved,” said Travel & Tourism Lecturer, Wayne Hull.

“The students get to experience how the industries in which they are studying are run in a different culture and climate. It’s also a great social experience for them as well as educational. They get to mingle with students from other countries who have also travelled to the hotel to take part in the programme.

“For a lot our students this is the first time they have travelled abroad without their families, and during their stay they get to take part in various activities and day trips including, visiting the Acropolis, travelling to Delphi and taking part in a three island cruise.”

Former Travel & Tourism student, Connor Roberts, 20, from Shrewsbury, took part in the trip last year. He said: “It’s great that our course offered us opportunities to travel. The trip to Athens was great fun, whilst also giving us the opportunity to do work experience abroad.”

The College strives to offer students valuable and exciting work placements in their chosen industries, and wherever possible the opportunity to travel abroad.

For more information about Travel & Tourism or Hospitality & Catering courses at Shrewsbury College please 01743 342411 or visit www.shrewsbury.ac.uk