What is a LIfBi trainee doing in Ireland?
Eva Sperber [jokingly]: Rounding out her educational trajectories , of course! …To be more precise, I completed a three-week exchange program. My stay in Dublin included both a language course and an internship. The project was organized by my vocational school and handled through the so-called "Erasmus Plus" program.
How did you become aware of the possibility of an internship aborad with Erasmus+ and what is Erasmus+ actually?
ES: Not only students can do a semester abroad with Erasmus. The program also exists for trainees who are interested in a stay abroad within the EU. I first learned about Erasmus+ at vocational school, but our training manager at LIfBi, Ilona Kellermann, also made me aware of it. And before I knew it, I was already sitting in the preparatory courses at my vocational school. The Berufsschule III in Bamberg has been organizing these stays abroad for several years and was able to provide good support in planning for me and five classmates who traveled to Dublin with me.
What did you experience during the three weeks in Dublin?
ES: In the first week we were at ADC College Dublin for a language course. I really got a lot out of that. It is different to learn a language in a country where it is spoken all the time and you hardly hear anything else. The next two weeks I did an internship. I was allowed to support the human resources department of a company that runs several pharmacy branches. During the entire time, I stayed with three of my classmates with a host family who welcomed us warmly. On weekends, we went on excursions, including to Trinity College with its impressive library and to the coast, where you could admire great cliffs and wild nature.
Is there anything you could take away for your work at LIfBi?
ES: It was very interesting to get a taste of a different working day - not only at a different company, but also in a different country. It also gave me a new perspective on the work at LIfBi: At LIfBi, we work very structured and closely together as a team. I was definitely looking forward to that again. Apart from that, I was of course able to improve my English in Dublin. Overall, it was a very valuable experience. I would recommend it to any trainee!