Nine Year 13 pupils accompanied by Mrs McAlinden and Mr O’Callaghan travelled to Germany during 22 - 30 January in the second stage of our German Work Experience and Cultural Exchange Programme. Having hosted German guests from our partner school Ludwig Wilhelm Gymnasium (Rastatt) in October, our return visit was eagerly anticipated.

The itineraries for both visits were arranged to mirror each other and began with residential weekend experiences in the Mourne Mountains in N. Ireland and in the snow covered Black Forest in Germany. A Monday morning in the host school provides the opportunity for pupils to compare education systems and is followed by an experience specific to the location. In Belfast the group experienced a City Tour -as much a new experience for our own pupils as it was for the Germans - while in Germany a guided tour of the Daimler factory allowed us to observe ‘precision engineering’ in the complete manufacture of a range of Mercedes cars. Work experience placements specific to the career aspirations of the participants were arranged for the next four days and an evening programme of social and cultural experiences made the trip educational, memorable and enjoyable.

All involved felt the experience deepened their appreciation of potential career and life choices and highlighted the potential for job opportunities outside N. Ireland.

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