A report by Kilian Schäfer
From March 10 to March 30, 2024, I participated in the “Kaufmann International Certificate” program in Dublin. In this program, funded by Eramus +, a group of 15 trainees from our school travelled to Dublin for three weeks. We had daily lessons in English covering various topics. At the end of the program, we took both oral and written exams to obtain the “Kaufmann International Certificate”.
After successfully participating in the application process for the program, I took part in two seminars to prepare for the program. After organizing the journey, my trip finally started. We were accommodated at host families, which intensified the cultural exchange. In addition, we were forced to speak English not only at school, but also with our host families.
Our courses took place at the centrally located ATC Language School in Dublin, which made it easy for us to engage in afternoon and evening activities.
In the first week, we primarily focused on application procedures and responded on job advertisements. After consultation with the responsible, the program was adapted for the remaining two weeks: We received training on daily business operations such as meetings, email correspondence, negotiation strategies and we organized a visit to a trade fair. In the last week, we worked in small groups to develop a start-up and prepared a pitch for our idea. As part of this we also dealt with corporate structures and marketing strategies.
We worked both individually and in groups with daily tasks and presentations. We also had to write a reflection every day on what we learned and experienced to ensure our learning progress. In the afternoons, we often had guided tours through different districts of Dublin. It was fascinating to see that many large companies like Google and Facebook have their European headquarters in Dublin due to the low corporate tax. We also visited various companies such as a chocolate factory and a whiskey distillery. At the national museums we learned about Irish history.
Besides school, we had weekends and some free afternoons to explore Dublin and its surrounding area. We traveled to the nearby countryside where we were stunned by wild nature and rocky coastlines just a few kilometers away from the Dublin.
We were also lucky to experience the famous national holiday St. Patrick’s Day on March 17. The preparations were visible throughout the city and people from all over the world came to celebrate the national holiday. The highlight was the big parade through the city center. During the holiday, we spoke to people of different nationalities. This made clear how Ireland’s history has been shaped by many waves of emigration.
In addition to improving my English skills, I not only got to know Irish culture during my stay in Ireland but also practiced interacting with people from all over the world. During the three weeks I had to deal with unfamiliar situations and challenges. I grew personally from this experience. I am very grateful that I was given opportunity to study abroad and gain this lifetime experience.