Pictured above: Suzie Bolton delivering presentation at IEPUK conference

Rutland based international educational exchange organisation, IEPUK Ltd, is helping British nationals find work placements all over the world thanks to continued support from UK Trade & Investment.

The firm, based on Leicester Road, Uppingham, offers global opportunities to young people in the environmental and land based sector, including horticulture, agriculture, food technology and equine.

UKTI's Passport to Export programme helped Richard and Vanessa Peach to launch IntSCA, an online personal development planner which enables an individual to be evaluated and endorsed during placement and the skills gained to be added to the individual's record of achievement.

Using UKTI's Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) the firm researched the Ukrainian market and travelled to Kiev in Ukraine to present their new programmes and systems to universities and other educational establishments.  

As part of the ongoing support received from UKTI, IEPUK was the first organisation in the UK to become a Licensed Sponsor for Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange allowing them to run a reciprocal programme in the UK for non EEA citizens.  

Another major project for IEPUK was a four day EU Conference which the firm hosted at Barnsdale Hall Hotel near Rutland Water. During the conference, IEPUK's European partners heard from a number of experts including Suzy Bolton from UKTI who was an associate sponsor of the event. Delegates got the chance to visit the Allerton Project in Loddington, part of the Game and Wildlife Trust and the Gainstone Brewery in Oakham.

And now the husband and wife team is using UKTI's Gateway to Growth programme to develop existing exchange opportunities in new areas, starting with the World Cup host nation, South Africa.

Vanessa said: "When the recession hit, the impact on our business was immediate as we were unable to find host employers. We needed to change and adapt if we were going to survive and UKTI helped us to do this, radically altering the way we work.

"Using IntSCA our online skills development tool we are able to provide training and upskilling virtually anywhere in the world enabling us to move into a host of new markets. Ukraine has been extremely receptive to our product and with help from UKTI we were able to secure meetings with all the right people.

"Now we're looking at expanding the service, primarily to South Africa but also New Zealand and Australia and we are currently in discussion with our European partners for mapping and translation of our skills products.

"Suzy from UKTI has been absolutely brilliant. Business is picking up day by day and with our new improved product and systems, we know that we're in a better position than ever before."

Suzy Bolton, International Trade Advisor for UK Trade & Investment said:

"We have worked with IEPUK Ltd for some time and they have embraced all of the help we have been able to offer them, from OMIS to the Passport to Export programme. They are now set to join a more strategic programme - Gateway to Global growth, that we hope will help them increase their overseas success.

"The fact that IEPUK Ltd is building up new clients on a regular basis is testament to the value of export. Working with UKTI can give significant support to those businesses who want to obtain business overseas and hopefully give them the security of knowing that they are not reliant on one single currency for success."