INSIGNARE’s students return from their international internships
50 students did their internship in several European cities
Returned on July 30th the 49 students from Ourém Vocational School (EPO) and Fátima Hospitality School (EHF), who did their European internships, supported by Erasmus+, in Barcelona, Bilbao, Seville and Vitória; Lyon; Berlin; Faenza and Florence.
During 2 and 3 months (2nd and 3rd year of their courses), the students were in companies suited to their technical and personal profiles, assisted by INSIGNARE’s local partners, who ensured support when necessary. At their accommodations they were responsible for the domestic tasks; the EPO and EHF teachers who took them returned after 4 days.
The impacts were felt in 5 complementary dimensions:
* Personnel – autonomy, sense of responsibility and budget management (INSIGNARE transferred a monthly grant so that everyone could manage their money, part of which was associated with fixed expenses);
* Social – integration in a new city;
* Linguistics – development of verbal and oral skills in the language of the country where they were, based on attending an online course and daily fluency;
* Cultural – living in a new city and region made it possible to get to know monuments and cultural spaces, whose critical reflection was poured into a small report where these aspects were presented;
* Technical – in addition to putting into practice what they learned at school, they learnt new skills related to work processes, tools, products, …
Let’s see some examples, in students’ own words.
João Pedro, EPO, Metalworking/CNC
(…) I worked at Zayer, a company in Vitória-Gasteiz, one of the largest companies in the CNC machine manufacturing market. I applied many of the knowledge acquired at EPO and learned a lot from it, from the importance of communication with those you work with, to organization in the work area. (…)
Ricardo Carvalho, EPO, Car Mechanics
(…) I had the privilege of being selected in what many students are looking for, which is to have the last internship of the course abroad. In my case, in Barcelona, with a duration of 3 months, where we are provided with all the support we need whenever we need it, including monetary one. In addition, I had the experience of living independently, together with other students from our school. It made us grow and gave us an idea of what it’s like to live alone and how difficult it is to manage our salary and monthly and daily expenses. With this internship, I was able to learn, understand and speak a new language, Spanish, and also to understand how a workshop works outside our country. (…)
Bruno Matos, EHF, Pastry Chef / Baker
(…) From the beginning, the possibility of doing an internship in Lyon was a major goal for me. Fortunately, I was selected and I made the most of the experience. My adaptation in the pastry shop was easy and I learned several things. The accommodation was also good, as I lived with my two colleagues, but each one had their own space, just sharing the kitchen. It was been a fantastic experience. (…)
Hernâni Galinha, EHF, Cook
(…) I did an internship in Lyon, France. Brasserie Georges was the restaurant where I worked, one of the most famous restaurants in Lyon and also one of the oldest. The restaurant had a well-crafted menu based on the delicacies that Lyon has to offer. At the kitchen, I did a little bit of everything in several working sectors: serving groups, meats, fish and sauces, starters and desserts. As an intern, I prepared the menu’s dishes. I managed to have a very different perspective of working in a large kitchen of a good organisation, and on a personal level I acquired greater responsibility.
