1. Taith Pathway 1 - Mobility of Participants
1.1. Introduction to Pathway 1
Pathway 1 (Mobility of Participants) supports organisations based in Wales to send their learners, young people, staff and volunteers on an international learning exchange. This is also referred to as a ‘mobility’ and to help you understand what we mean we’ve put definitions of these terms below.
An international exchange is the exchange of learning between an individual or group of people from Wales, and an individual or group of people from another country. This exchange enables participants to learn from each other, experience different cultures and share experiences.
Learning can be in a variety of forms and includes:
- formal learning (generally takes place in a school, college or university and where the participant will get a qualification)
- informal learning (unplanned learning where the participant is gaining knowledge or skills through their engagement in other activities. It can also be called experiential learning)
- non-formal learning (planned learning which takes place outside a traditional, formal environment, such as in community settings. The focus of the learning is more on practical skills rather than academic knowledge)
A mobility is a visit to an international destination which allows participants to have an international learning exchange.
An outward mobility is when participants based in Wales travel from Wales. An inward mobility is when participants based outside the UK travel to Wales. Although international organisations cannot apply to Taith for funding, they can receive some funding through their partner Welsh organisation.
All Taith funded projects must involve participants from Wales travelling overseas (outward mobilities), but you can also apply for additional funding to bring participants into Wales (inward mobilities). This is capped at an additional maximum of 30% of the budget you receive for outward mobilities. Participants on inward mobilities must be based in Wales for the duration of their mobility.
If you have participants who are not able to travel abroad, you can apply for funding for them to participate in virtual mobilities. More information on the mobility options can be found in section 4.3.
Please note that Taith funding is a contribution towards the costs associated with going on an international learning exchange.
Taith is committed to making international exchange more inclusive and accessible. Our strategy focuses on supporting underrepresented groups to access international opportunities. This includes people from disadvantaged backgrounds, ethnic minority backgrounds, Disabled people and people with additional learning needs.
You must demonstrate that you will provide opportunities for those who would be unlikely to experience an international mobility without Taith funding. At least 25% of learners or young people participating in a project must be from underrepresented groups. Staff only mobilities are possible, but must have clear impact on the learners or young people they work with, in particular those from underrepresented groups.
Our funding model includes additional financial support to remove the majority of financial barriers for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, Disabled people and people with additional learning needs. Please see section 5.4.1 for further information on Additional Funding.
Taith offers additional support for organisations new to international exchange through our Taith Champions. Further information can be found on the Taith website.
1.2. Eligible Sectors
Pathway 1 is open to all Taith sectors. Below you will find all of the organisation eligibility for each of the different sectors.
- any school funded or maintained by a local authority and registered in, and operating from, Wales, providing general or vocational education to pupils aged 4 – 19 years and inspected by ESTYN
- any not-for-profit independent school where all pupils are admitted via referral by a local authority, social worker, or relevant charity, and which operates in Wales, providing education to children and young people aged 4 – 19
- any of the 22 Welsh local authorities
- any of the 4 Regional Education Consortia
- a consortium which comprises a single lead organisation applying on behalf of two or more organisations in the field of school education. The consortium must include at least one named school, funded and maintained by a local authority and registered in, and operating from, Wales, and may also include local or regional authorities, school coordinating bodies or a social enterprise or other organisations with a role in the field of school education. All members of the consortium must be regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales, and any schools in the consortium must be funded or maintained by a local authority and registered in, and operating from, Wales. Consortium partners must be agreed and named at the point of application, and it is not permitted for the lead organisation to charge a fee to consortium partners for inclusion in the bid
Applying organisations must have demonstrable, recent experience of delivering activity within the sector to which they are applying.
For-profit organisations and sole traders are not eligible to apply or be named as consortium partners. You should refer to the Taith eligibility guidance to confirm if your organisation satisfies the eligibility requirement that it does not operate for profit.
Not-for-profit organisations and groups regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales working in the field of youth including:
- public bodies at local, regional or national level
- non-governmental organisations, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, including but not limited to registered charities and charitable incorporated associations, community interest companies, companies limited by guarantee that do not operate for a profit
- a consortium of organisations/providers which comprises a single lead organisation applying on behalf of two or more organisations working in the field of youth. All members of such a consortium must be regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales. Consortium partners must be agreed and named at the point of application, and it is not permitted for the lead organisation to charge a fee to consortium partners for inclusion in the bid
Not-for-profit organisations working in the field of youth, which are not regulated or registered in Wales but operate on a UK wide basis, with demonstrable, recent, experience of delivering activity in Wales, may also be eligible to apply for Taith funding. To be eligible, organisations must provide satisfactory evidence to demonstrate:
1) how the proposed programme activity will benefit Wales and
2) that the intended participants are either (i) for outward mobility, participants who are actively engaged with an eligible organisation in Wales, or (ii) for inward mobility, the participants will be undertaking learning activity in WalesFor-profit organisations and sole traders are not eligible to apply or be named as consortium partners. You should refer to the Taith eligibility guidance to confirm if your organisation satisfies the eligibility requirement that it does not operate for profit.
Any not-for-profit organisation regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales providing formal and non-formal adult education, including:
- local and regional public authorities, coordination bodies and other organisations registered and operating from Wales with a role in the field of adult education
- non-governmental organisations, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, including but not limited to registered charities and charitable incorporated associations, community interest companies, companies limited by guarantee that do not operate for a profit
- consortium of organisations/providers, which comprises a single lead organisation applying on behalf of two or more adult education providers, in the field of adult education. All members of the consortium must be regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales. Consortium partners must be agreed and named at the point of application, and it is not permitted for the lead organisation to charge a fee to consortium partners for inclusion in the bid
Not-for-profit organisations working in the field of adult education, which are not regulated or registered in Wales but operate on a UK wide basis, with demonstrable, recent, experience of delivering activity in Wales, may also be eligible to apply for Taith funding. To be eligible, organisations must provide satisfactory evidence to demonstrate:
1) how the proposed programme activity will benefit Wales and
2) that the intended participants are either (i) for outward mobility, participants who are actively engaged with an eligible organisation in Wales, or (ii) for inward mobility, the participants will be undertaking learning activity in WalesFor-profit organisations and sole traders are not eligible to apply or be named as consortium partners. You should refer to the Taith eligibility guidance to confirm if your organisation satisfies the eligibility requirement that it does not operate for profit.
- any public organisation regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales active in the field of further education, and which offers a range of courses at different levels within the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales, leading to accredited qualifications
- national, regional or local co-ordinating bodies operating within Wales and overseeing the provision of further education
- consortium of not-for-profit organisations/providers, which comprises a single lead organisation applying on behalf of two or more further education providers, in the field of further education. All members of the consortium must be regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales. Consortium partners must be agreed and named at the point of application and it is not permitted for the lead organisation to charge a fee to consortium partners for inclusion in the bid
For-profit organisations and sole traders are not eligible to apply or be named as consortium partners. You should refer to the Taith eligibility guidance to confirm if your organisation satisfies the eligibility requirement that it does not operate for profit.
Any public or not-for-profit organisation regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales, active in the field of vocational education & training, which offer a range of courses, leading to accredited qualifications, including:
- national co-ordinating bodies operating within Wales and overseeing the provision of education or training in the field of vocational education and training
- non-governmental not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises and other not-for-profit organisations, including but not limited to registered charities and charitable incorporated associations, community interest companies and companies limited by guarantee that do not operate for a profit and are hosting, training or otherwise working with learners and apprentices in vocational education and training
- consortium of not-for-profit organisations/providers, which comprises a single lead organisation applying on behalf of two or more vocational education and training providers, in the field of vocational education and training. All members of the consortium must be regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales. Consortium partners must be agreed and named at the point of application, and it is not permitted for the lead organisation to charge a fee to consortium partners for inclusion in the bid
For-profit organisations and sole traders are not eligible to apply or be named as consortium partners. You should refer to the Taith eligibility guidance to confirm if your organisation satisfies the eligibility requirement that it does not operate for profit.
- any Welsh higher education institution (HEI), regulated or funded by Medr
- a higher education provider, whose courses have been specifically designated for the purposes of being eligible for student support, and operates in Wales
1.3. Sustainability
Taith funds the travel costs of thousands of international mobilities, the majority of which are flights, resulting in a large carbon footprint.
The life-changing benefits of international exchange are well documented, but it is also important that Taith contributes to mitigating the environmental impact of international travel.
In order to ensure the programme is as sustainable as possible, you will need to explain your choice of destination(s), providing a clear explanation why that country/ies is the best option for your participants. Assessors will consider this as part of the assessment process, in particular those destinations which will create a bigger carbon footprint.
In order to ensure that mobilities to destinations further away from Wales provide the greatest impact, the minimum number of mobility days for activities in countries over 4,000 km from Wales are:
Distance (km) | Duration |
|---|---|
4000-12,000km | 5 mobility days, (maximum 2 travel days) |
12,000km+ | 12 mobility days, (maximum 2 travel days) |
Green travel (train, bus/coach, car share) is encouraged where possible. In recognition of the potentially higher costs, projects which use green travel options for the whole journey (to and from the destination) can apply for actual costs for their travel (where costs are higher than the allocated travel rate) during the project.
It is possible for participants to undertake more than one Taith mobility. However, it is not permitted for learner participants to travel to the same destination more than once in a single project. Staff participants can travel to the same destination more than once to attend a preparatory visit and/or as an accompanying person as well as participating in one eligible staff activity.