Those vocational school students who won the Erasmus+ scholarship are already halfway in their internship abroad. In early July we visited this group of five living a Paduan life. They work in the city as waiters, cooks or carpenters. They live together with Italians divided into two in a typical Italian street in a house with roof terrace.

What we saw was a group of people that stands on its own feet after the preparatory camp at home and the 2-week language course abroad. They ordered on our behalf, took us to their favourite ice cream shop, pizza and kebab house, and their popular shops. One evening they expected us with a grill party which was preceded by careful preparation. We not only got into their lives but also added to them with sitting on the cobblestoned pavement of the city center in the evening at the circus festival, or going to a concert at the city wall. The next day we visited Venice with the zealous and lively guidance of our local contact, while in the afternoon we took the ferry to an island and swam in the sea.

Concerning their language skills, our interns can make themselves understood and start a chat more and more often not only at their workplaces but also in the street with strangers. We went to their workplaces too where the professionals were completely satisfied with them, they provide reliable work and are useful members of the company. The students explained that they had improved their professional skills too by experiencing new habits, machines, flavours, spices, people skills, and work ethics.

They are looking forward to the rest of their internship and have high hopes for their professional, cultural and language development.