Further education providers have sent a higher proportion of disadvantaged students on international placements than any other type of educational institution since the Turing scheme began, FE Week analysis shows.
Sixty per cent of all FE placements have been given to students from deprived backgrounds, compared with 52 per cent in schools and 50 per cent in universities.
Named after the mathematician and code-breaker Alan Turing, the DfE-funded initiative replaced Erasmus+ in March 2021 with a new focus on social mobility. Then education secretary Gavin Williamson also expanded it beyond the EU.
The government aimed to send 35,000 students to work or study around the world at a cost of more than £100 million a year.
The scheme got off to a slow start with 21,353 participants in 2021-22, of which 39 per cent were from a disadvantaged background. But the figures increased to 38,374 and 52 per cent respectively the following year, then to 40,206 and 60 per cent in 2023-24.
In 2024-25 the number of UK-wide participants increased to 43,152 but the proportion of those from disadvantaged backgrounds fell to 53 per cent.
The proportion of FE participants from disadvantaged backgrounds started at 45 per cent in year one, increasing to 57 per cent in year two, then 71 per cent in year three, but dropped to 59 per cent in year four.
Overall since 2021, further education providers have placed 22,483 disadvantaged learners, representing 60 per cent of all 37,342 participants.
FE creating numerous ‘firsts’ for disadvantaged learners
Nottingham College has been involved in Turing for all four years. James Swift, its director of strategic development and projects, said its participants were from households where the average income was among the lowest in the UK.
“Many have never ventured beyond Nottingham, let alone abroad,” he said, adding that the scheme funded passport fees and travel essentials.
“Students who previously couldn’t envision themselves succeeding outside their immediate environment, return with enhanced self-belief, often becoming the first in their families to meaningfully engage with global opportunities.”
Although most Turing scheme participants came from HE, it had the lowest overall proportion of students from deprived backgrounds – 50 per cent out of a total 84,129, 52 per cent of the 21,614-strong cohort from schools came from underprivileged backgrounds.
Middlesbrough College recently sent 26 level 3 students to Bali for two weeks, with leaders saying about three-quarters of its participants over the past two years have been from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Aimey Adamson, vice-principal, students and communication at Middlesbrough College Group, said: “Our current project has already reported positive outcomes for many students, as they experience numerous firsts, such as travelling by plane, train, living independently, cooking for themselves, commuting, and exploring new places.”
A Capital City College spokesperson said: “The Turing scheme has created an invaluable opportunity for our learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. Over the last three years we’ve witnessed the impact the experience has on the personal and professional development of participants.”
Funding Turing placements ‘may become challenging’
FE leaders said that while the scheme had an aim to address social mobility, the programme needed to be “appropriately funded” to meet this goal.
Swift said: “The scheme still has social mobility and addressing disadvantage as one of its primary areas of focus. However, the overall programme is moving more towards a match-funded model, where contributions are required to meet the cost of mobilities.”
Nottingham had created a bursary to meet this contribution requirement so disadvantaged students did not miss out.
“As FE finances come under increased pressure year on year, this may become challenging across the sector,” he said.
Nina Chorzelewski, policy manager at the Association of Colleges, said: “The scheme’s aim to support disadvantaged student participation is absolutely fundamental and the mobility opportunities that Turing affords would not be possible without this funding.
“However, there is a need for a sustained, appropriately funded commitment … to ensure as many students as possible benefit from mobility projects.”
A DfE spokesperson said: “The Turing Scheme prioritises placements for students from a disadvantaged background and we have made delivering these placements a condition of providers’ grant funding agreements.
“The scheme provides flexibility for providers through the year to make changes to their plans. As part of this, we expect them to look for opportunities to boost places for students from a disadvantaged background.”
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