The Belfast Social Cultural and Work Experience

Friday, 17th of October marked the beginning of this year’s ‘Work Experience Europe’ Project with the arrival at the College of a group of twelve German pupils and their teachers Frau Merz and Frau Weigel.

The project, funded through Comenius and now in its third year, aims to facilitate international work experience and collaborative social and cultural activities between Year 13 pupils from St Malachy’s College and Ludwig Wilhelm Gymnasium in Rastatt, Germany.

Work Experience for our German partners is a priority for the Belfast part of the project and was arranged in advance according to pupils’ preferences. Sincere thanks are due to the range of employers including local primary schools, hotels and retail outlets who supported the project by providing placements.

Our social and cultural itinerary was packed with activities and experiences enjoyed by all. A residential experience in Newcastle, a bus tour of Belfast, visits to the Titanic Visitors Centre and the Grand Opera House as well as an evening of Ceili dancing and another of ten-pin bowling provided a structure to the nine-day programme. Attending classes in the College and visiting the homes of our pupils for an evening meal provided our guests with an insight into life in Belfast and offered our own pupils with a fresh perspective on their everyday experiences.

Our return trip to Germany is scheduled for February 2015. We look forward to developing our newly forged friendships and to experiencing the social, cultural and workplace opportunities that this reciprocal visit will offer.