Banco Santander is strengthening its commitment to lifelong learning and language training as a lever for employability by launching, together with the British Council, a new edition of the Santander Language Scholarships | Online English Courses 2023, offering 5000 scholarships to over-18s living in 11 countries (Argentina, Germany, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, the USA, Spain, Portugal, Poland, the UK and Uruguay).
The aim is to train participants in English to improve their grammar and vocabulary, as well as to improve their language skills for meetings, presentations and job interviews. The programme offers five levels of training depending on the level of the participants, lasts 16 weeks and comprises 12 online group classes, each tutored by a British Council teacher.
The programme is 100% online, costs nothing to the beneficiaries and requires neither a bank account nor a university degree. Those interested can register through this link until April 13.
The beneficiaries of the 5000 grants will have to take a test to determine their level on the British Council's online English language training platform. The content of the courses is eminently practical and is focused on improving the employability of the students.
As Blanca Sagastume, director of Santander Universidades, Open Innovation & Blockchain, says "languages continue to be one of the most in-demand transversal skills in the markets and a value that we at Banco Santander want to emphasise. That is why we are launching this new edition of the programme with the British Council, with whom past editions have been a great success.”
Carolina Jiménez, Head of Higher Education at the British Council Spain, comments that these scholarships "are a great opportunity for anyone over 18 who wants to improve their level of English. The courses are flexible in terms of timetables, with synchronous online classes where it is possible to interact with students from different parts of the world. It's a fantastic opportunity which, with a little effort on the part of the learner, will improve their employability and help them build new connections, understanding and trust with other people and cultures.”
The course will cover aspects such as preparing for job interviews in English, grammar and vocabulary for the work environment, establishing professional contacts and developing communication skills for meetings, presentations and talks. Once they have completed the courses, students will receive a certificate of successful completion.