Students from Strasbourg and Krefeld visit Leicester

STUDENTS FROM STRASBOURG AND KREFELD VISIT LEICESTER 2019

From May until September 2019, CLETA has assisted 18 students and apprentices to carry out internships within the Leicester City Council and several local businesses.

As an integral part of their educational qualifications, the students and apprentices are required to work for a number of weeks in an English speaking department within the workplace.  Although there is a wide choice of where these internships can take place, these 18 young people have chosen Leicester, their twinned City, for their work placements.

The students have arrived in groups from 2 to 7 at different times during the summer and have been welcomed by members of CLETA who have helped them with transport from the airport, railway or bus station to their accommodation, given them a tour of the City and shown them the location of where they report for work.  During their stay, CLETA is on hand to help, as and when necessary.

Within the Council, the students have been working in the following departments:

Social Care and Education;

Planning, Development and Transportation;

Revenues and Customer Support;

Transport Strategy;

Estates and Building Services;

Risk Business & Emergency Management;

Economic Regeneration;

Human Resources;

Festivals & Events Team and

Arts & Museums.

Outside of the Council, some students have worked within the following private businesses including:

Sempervox (unified business communications);

Belmont Hotel;

Leicester Racecourse and

University of Leicester

We also arrange for them to visit local places of interest such as the Richard III Exhibition, the Guildhall, the Cathedral and the International Space Centre.  During their stay, they also meet up with the Lord Mayor in the Town Hall for afternoon tea.  The Lord Mayor enjoys giving them a personal welcome to the City.  

The French students, their two tutors and members of CLETA are welcomed by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Annette Byrne.

Also, the students are usually taken out for an evening meal where they can meet other students and socialise with CLETA members.

French students and tutors together with CLETA members out for evening meal in the Highcross.

One of the opportunities we had for students from Strasbourg and students from Krefeld to meet up was at the CLETA AGM which is held in the tea rooms of the Town Hall each summer.  The Lord Mayor is President of our association but was unwell and not able to preside over the meeting.  However, the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Deepak Bajaj was able to take her place.  We had 7 French students and 3 German students present at the meeting and they all seemed to get on well with each other, using ‘English’ to communicate.

W with each other.  In fact, they all went out together the next evening for fish and chips at Grimsby Fisheries.!!!

Krefeld and Strasbourg students at CLETA AGM with Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Deepak Bajaj, Chairman Fred Rankin and Deputy Chairman John Townsend.

Their progress is monitored during their stay and the appraisals received so far have been outstanding.  All of our visitors are a credit to their respective college, university or home workplace.

The prospect of ‘Brexit’ occurring in the not too distant future may affect the opportunity for future students to take advantage of European Funding to fulfil their ambitions in visiting our wonderful City.  However, CLETA will do as much as possible to ensure that we are blessed by such visits in the years to come.

German students with Chairman Fred Rankin and his wife, Viv, during their visit to Foxton Locks.

When the students leave after their stay, which in some cases is a two month attachment, they are happy in one way that they will be able to see their families again but there is a tinge of sadness in saying goodbye to newly made friends.

The French students saying goodbye to Leicester as they begin their long journey back to Strasbourg.