Already renowned for its commitment to offering the very best in training, VSG, one of the UK’s fastest growing providers of security services, has accepted the opportunity to play host to, and provide specialised training for two German students who are participating in the Leonardo Scheme. This scheme is part of the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme.
While they are with the company, VSG will help the students, who are from Berufskolleg West in Essen, to learn about UK security techniques, systems and regulations, as well as to improve their grasp of English and, in particular, idiomatic English. It is anticipated that the knowledge they acquire during their time with VSG will prove particularly useful to the students when, after they have completed their training, they are called upon to help provide security at international events.
“Initially it wasn’t easy for us to find a Leonardo Scheme partner to host our students,” said Andrea Metschke of Berufskolleg West. “At first, we tried contacting security companies direct with very little success, so then we talked to Bob Doyle, Director of Commercial Services at Skills for Security Limited. He forwarded our request to a large number of companies, and we were particularly interested by the response we got from VSG.”
“Straightaway we got the impression that VSG could and would provide the opportunities our students were looking for, and this impression was amply confirmed when we made a preparatory visit early in the year. VSG’s commitment to excellence in training is clear, and the company’s overall reputation is outstanding. In spite of our initial problems we have, therefore, ended up with the ideal Leonardo Scheme partner.”
“We’re delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to our German friends,” said Leon Barwell, VSG’s Commercial Director. “Not only do we believe that sound training is the essential foundation for our industry’s future success, we are also very conscious that security is now an international issue. For security operatives to have practical experience of techniques used in a range of countries is, therefore, exceptionally useful, and that’s just what the Leonardo Scheme is providing.”
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The Lifelong Learning Programme, of which the Leonardo Scheme is just one element, is a European funding programme that supports education and training across Europe. The programme’s mobility projects allow organisations to work with a partner is another country to organise work experience for trainees or employees and to increase staff skills through short-term placements.
