UK-China internship programme expands

At least 300 young people will have the chance to live and work in China following the expansion of a government-funded internship scheme.

Education secretary Justine Greening has announced that the Generation UK-China scheme will be expanded to give twice as many young people from disadvantaged and less represented backgrounds the opportunity to take up internships in China from 2018.

Speaking at the UK-China People-to-People event, which celebrates the growing links between the two countries, including education policy, Greening said: “This scheme allows our young people to immerse themselves in different cultures, broaden their horizons and develop the skills they need to thrive in an increasingly global jobs market.

“Many of them will be people who were the first in their family to go to university and programmes like this help young people to experience first-hand just how far their talents can take them.”

Evidence shows that students and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit most from programmes of this nature, and the Generation UK internships will be focussed on young people from these backgrounds.