LiBERTA Lehrlinge im Baugewerbe - Erfahrung und Training im Ausland
Learning Initiative for Builders - Experience and Revision for Trainees abroad
24.Feb. – 15.März 2003. Report from 21. 03. 2003
In co-operation with the federal department of the Chamber of Trade and Commerce and the local Training Centre for bricklayers (Lehrbauhof Salzburg) the Landesberufsschule Wals (Vocational School for Building Trades in the province of Salzburg) organised a European Leonardo-da-Vinci Mobility project for apprentices. Some six trainees from different companies (bricklayers,carpenters, stonemasons, floor tilers) participated in this 3-week lasting work placement in Southwest-England.
Our partner in England, South Devon College (The Training Partnership Ltd) in Torquay, Devon, had choosen the English companies and arranged accommodation for the trainees.
The participants got work experience with different 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
 |
On Monday, Feb. 24, the group took the train from Salzburg to Munich. They went to London with British Airways continuing by coach to Torquay. (Eberl Martin, Hartl Patrick, Hofer Marcus, Feldbacher Thomas, Weiss Johann, Fallwickl Rene) |
Accommodation
The strainees were friendly welcomed and accompanied to their accommodation. They stayed in a boarding house near by the town center together with students from other countries. There they had breakfast and dinner and got a packed lunch.
In talks and daily contact with English citizens and guests from other countries the young Austrians could improve their English.
Work placements with English companies
Next morning the trainees were picked up by a staff and distributed to the different local building companies. After short instructions and security supervisions the Austrians trainees started a 3-weeks work experience with their English companies on different construction sites.
The Austrian apprentices were friendly welcomed on site by the English work fellows. They got first impressions of the English way of work and and got to know different materials and working technics. 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.
 |
Cruise&Bridgeman building site: Teignmouth Golf club; conversion of the club house (work placement for 2 bricklayers and 1 carpenter) |
 |
Apprentice carpenter Weiss Johann (Fa. Rohrmoser) together with an English work fellow preparing a partition wall |
 |
Aprentice bricklayer Feldbacher Thomas(Fa. Thurnberger) installing a new lintel |
 |
Trainee Thomas Feldbacher again together wirht his Austrian fellow Hofer Marcus (Fa. Dertnig) working in front of the new built club house |
|
|
 |
The trainee floor tilers Eberl Martin (Fa. Klieber) and Hartl Patrick (Fa. Vorreiter) blockpaving a new driveway for a private estate near Torquay |
 |
The English weather wasn't always very nice; in return the English work fellows had been very friendly to their Austrian mates |
 |
It's teatime: Martin und Patrick together with their work fellows Mark und Chris on site |
 |
Apprentice stonemason Rene Fallwickl (Fa. Fallwickl, right) together with his English work fellow Matthew renovating an old stonewall. |
|
Leisure activities
Twice a week evening language lessons were arranged for our trainees. In other evenings they went to a cinema or to the indoor swimming pool or they ejoyed themselves in one of the famous English pubs.
At weekends they made a sightseeing tour in Torquay, They went shopping or they made a cliff walk on the South-Devon coastpath. The highlight of the leisure programme was a wonderful daytrip to Dartmoor and the visit of the Eden project near St Austell
.
 |
Torquay is situated in Devon, at the English Riviera.
The coast is known as a famous area for holiday makers. |
 |
The trainee stonemason worked on an old stone wall in the school yard of this Primary School made of Bath-stone in Newton Abbot. |
 |
Typical terraced houses in Torquay exposing different blends of bricks. |
 |
The visit of the Eden-Project was definitely one of the highlights of our stay. |
|
|
 |
In Dartmoor with John Matthew (South Devon College) Austrian trainees are relaxing after a hard week at work |
 |
English language lessons with lovely English laguage teacher Nathalie |
 |
Tenses, grammar and such was really hard after a hard day's work . . . |
 |
. . . but English conversation was more relaxing |
|
Return journey to Salzburg
 |
The long way back home was done the same way: by coach, by plane and by train. Rather tired but in good health and without any injuries the trainees arrived at Salzburg train station together with teacher Angela Dollnig on Saturday evening March 15, 2003. |
The trainees worked with following local building companies
| Apprentice, Austrian company |
job |
company in Torqauy |
Feldbacher Thomas (Fa. Thurnberger)
Hofer Marcus (Fa. Dertnig) |
bricklayers |
Cruise & Bridgeman |
Eberl Martin (Fa. Klieber)
Hartl Patrick (Fa. Vorreiter) |
floor tilers
|
Classic Driveways |
| Weiss Johann (Fa. Rohrmoser) |
carpenter |
Cruise & Bridgeman |
| Fallwickl Rene (Fa. Fallwickl) |
stonemason |
Stone & Co |
A project supported by the EU
According to the EU-LEONARDO programme this Mobility project should improve the quality of initial vocational training and was partly financed by this EU programme. Young craftsmen (apprentice carpenters, bricklayers, stonemasons etc.) gain experience for their job in another country.
Some aims of the project:
The social aspect is as important as the job related improvement. Following aims were to be considered:
- Interested and well trained young building crafts (bricklayers, carpenters, stonemasons, tilers, painters e.g.) learn about new technologies, materials and different working methods.
- The work placements together with workers from other countries enables both of them to exchange skills and experiences in order to support each other and to improve their skills and training on the job.
- Young people get to know different cultures, attitudes and way of living by staying in other countries and by working together with people from other countries for three weeks.
- Our trainees should get a better understanding for other people in another country with another language and culture. Xenophobics and prejudgements should decrease by living and working together.
- The work experience abroad should make the trainee more self-confident and self-relient in his own abilities. This enables him possibly to work abroad again, e.g. in case he is sent to a construction site abroad by his Austrian employer.
- The daily language acquisition at work or after work improves their level of the English language, especially the listening and talking ability.
- Due to their international experience and the language training the trainees will get better chances on the labor market and for their futur working life.
- These projects can lead to international partnership and good contacts between Austrian and English colleges and companies in the future, in order to improve the quality of the vocational training.
Conclusion
I am convinced that this work placements in England have been a successful project for the benefit of our trainees who will never forget that stay there and the experiences they made.
On behalf of their name I want to thank all our partners and promotors - Chamber of trade and commerce, Training centre for builders (Lehrbauhof), the companies where they are employed with, the school board and school authorities for vocational schools, the principal and the colleagues - for supporting and co-operating the project.
Hans Berner
For contact 