Regarding the ITQ for a UK VET expert to organise and lead a study tour for 15 FE practitioners from Korea in the UK, sent out on 23rd August 2016, the following questions were received, and answered below.

Q 1: Are there specialist sectorial areas to be covered or will representatives from Korea come from a variety of industry sectors? This could affect the nature of some of the visits.
A: It’s very unlikely that the delegates will be from specific sectors; some will be from public research agencies and think tanks, and majority of them will be from junior colleges. They’ll be from a variety of sectors.

Q 2: Other study tour ITQs from the British Council have tended to specify the number of days available, including preparation and evaluation. Do you have a specific number of days in mind?
A: We try not to specify the number of work days since this may vary amongst consultants. However, 5-6 days for prep and evaluation + 5 programme days is what we reasonably expect

Q 3: Do you wish for the sector expert to be with the group from arrival in the UK to departure, or just for the working week?
A: The delegation will be accompanied by a staff from British Council Korea, so the sector expert will be needed only during the working week.

Q 4: Do you have further information on the background to the visiting professors ie what vocational areas they come from?
A: Professors will be from different areas. So far, we have received interest from professors of media arts, game animation, early childhood education and travel & tourism. We expect more to come during next week.

Q 5: The ITQ mentions skills gaps in South Korea, are there any subject areas that are more significant than others?
A: It is not easy to pinpoint certain areas. Overall skills gaps have been recognised. (Nearly 7 out of 10 high school graduates in Korea go to college or university, the highest proportion among advanced countries. Yet, only 50% of college graduates gained full-time jobs in 2011. The labour market suffers problems such as an overqualified workforce, shortages of skilled labour and mismatches between job seekers and businesses.)

Q 6: There is also mention of interpretation. Will the delegation have their own interpreter, or should we cost that into the budget and if the latter, any guide as to how much may be required?
A: We expect interpretation to be included into budget. (Interpretation may be required for intensive input sessions)

To be noted if you are considering an application