Wir in England

The Landesberufsschule Wals (Vocational School for Building Trades in the province of Salzburg) organised a socalled Leonardo-da-Vinci Mobility project for apprentices in cooperation with the federal department of the Chamber of Trade and Commerce.
Seven trainees from different companies (bricklayers,carpenters, stonemasons, floor tilers, painters) participated in this 3-week lasting work experience.

The participants choosen got work experience with different British companies according to their job on construction sites in and around Birmingham/ Midlands . They also took part on training courses in the college.

Outward journey to England:

On Sunday, Feb. 28, the group took the train from Salzburg to Munich and then they went to Birmingham with British Airways. There they were picked up by a teacher from our partner in England, South Birmingham College; and transfered to their accommodation.

Accommodation:

The strainees stayed with host families in pairs in the borough Hall Green near South Birmingham College. They had breakfast and dinner together with the families and a packed sandwich for lunch. In talks and the daily contact with the members of the family the young Austrian could improve their English.

Practical work at college:

During the first week our trainees participated some training courses and worked in different workshops under the guidance of the friendly and helpful teachers.
Here they had first contacts with English trainees and they got first impressions of the English way of work and working technics.

The first week also was used to orientate themselves and to find their way in Birmingham. A daytrip to Ironbridge and Severn Valley, the source of the industrial revolution, including a visit of an old ironmill museum was arranged and accompanied by a teacher from the college at the end of the week.

Work placements with English companies:

	On Monday morning, March 6, each of the trainees was picked up by a staff of one of the local construction companies choosen by our partner college. After short instructions and security supervisions the Austrian trainees started a 2-weeks work experience with their English companies on different construction sites.
	The trainees worked with following local building companies:

Name/ Company in Austria	Job	Company in England/ Building site
Holzmann Christoph (Fa. Moser) Fuchs Walter (Fa. Moser, Berndorf)	stonemasons	Sapcotes and Son Ltd, B’ham Hallesowen Church, Ripple Church
Enzinger Bernhard (Fa. Eberl) Hofer Josef (Fa. ÖBAU Schilchegger)	floor tiler	BirminghamTile and Mosaik Ltd, Shopping Centre Banbury
Fankhauser Thomas (Fa. Schützinger)	carpenter	Perry Sayers, Birmingham Private property
König Hollerwöger Werner (Fa. Thurnberger)	bricklayer	Allen Build Ltd, Birminghamh Block of flats
Thomas Lindner (Fa. Eichberger)	painter	Peter Riley, Birmingham Private property

The Austrian apprentices were friendly welcomed on site by the English worker fellows. Despite language difficulties especially at the beginning a constructive and harmonious co-operation developed and the collaboration with the natives on site eventually worked out well. The work placement was a great challenge for the young Austrians in order to survive in their job and to get across within this new environment.

Leisure activities:

A sightseeing tour in Birmingham, a weekend shopping tour and a Pub evening were part of the leisure programme as well as a daytrip to Warwick Castle (the largest castle of England) and to Worcester with its great gothic cathedrale.

Return journey to Salzburg:

This was done in the same way by plane and by train. Tired but in good health the trainees arrived at Salzburg train station on Saturday evening March 18,2000.