2-week training program for learners from College Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

Interdisciplinary collaboration, business pitching, and cultural visits

Those were the key components of an immersive Nexgen program for a group of Business and Travel/Tourism students from The College Merthyr Tydfil . The two weeks of training in Barcelona allowed the learners to become equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their future careers.?

The learners first mastered the challenge to build an emotive brand story on a social media channel to reflect the tone and voice of local clients ( WeTKare , Vermut , betahaus | Barcelona ) before they ventured into the world of entrepreneurship by developing their own innovative business ideas. Particularly the presentations of their results at the end of each week showed improvements in learners’ confidence and public-speaking skills as exemplified by Jakub:

I’ve grown out of my shell because I wasn't really good at public speaking before.?

The experiential learning was accelerated by the fact that students from different disciplines collaborated on the projects allowing for creative problem-solving. With reflection tasks throughout the projects, the learners were further encouraged to understand and apply their full skill sets, leading to some revelations:?

I’ve learnt that I’m more creative than I thought I was and that I have a lot of good ideas. - Ieuan

To support their career development, the programme included career design workshops to help the learners reflect on their interests, opportunities and experiences. As a result, many claim to have gained clarity for their future professional journey:

I am now aware of the competencies that I possess and of which I need to acquire to secure my desired job in the future.?- Jayden

I have realised which business departments I am now interested in after completing the tasks and it made me realise that I want to go down the route of marketing. - Cameron

Being in Barcelona, the Welsh learners explored its rich cultural heritage with visits to iconic landmarks, the Gothic Quarter and Park Guell. The setting of the programme, therefore, enabled them to leave their comfort zone and broaden their horizons.?

The end of the programme took place with a visit to The Social Hub (B Corp?) in Barcelona, which gave the learners firsthand insight into an innovative business model combining student and hotel rooms with coworking and event spaces creating a diverse community. Overall, we are thrilled about the outcome of this successful first programme with Coleg Merthyr Tydfil and hope for many more to come.