Castres. Professional high school students from Borde Basse on internship in Malta

Professional high school students from Borde Basse went on an internship to Malta for three weeks. An exceptional experience for these students in the electricity sector. Upon arrival, the students joined their host families located near the Maltese capital, Valletta. Teachers Lydia Gracia and Amélie Régis, respectively professors of Literature-History and Literature-English, stayed on site with them for four days. “It was essential that we be present while the first benchmarks were taken, such as mastering the public transport system, for example. We also accompanied them on their first cultural visits to the capital and during the meeting with their business tutors” explains Lydia Gracia.

After following an intensive English course in a specialized school and experiencing their first day in a professional environment, the students gained in autonomy.

The four Maltese companies selected to welcome these future electricians had been carefully chosen: an independent craftsman, an electronic components factory carrying out work on its installations, a company selling and repairing electrical equipment, and a family business specializing in the creation of illuminated advertising panels.

The seven young people are delighted with this experience! “I didn’t believe it when the teacher told me, but it’s true that speaking in English all day, at first, it exhausted me. I really liked looking around me and enjoying being in an environment completely different from my daily life” confided Noé. Anaïs, for her part, remembers: “We found ourselves quite a group to visit the island, we went to some magnificent places! We will remember the beauty of the coastline and the landscapes!”

Before the end of their stay, Frédéric Piquemal, electricity teacher, and Caroline Carceller, member of the internship office, joined the students on the island to carry out internship visits and mandatory skills assessments.

Future high school graduates leave with a special mention of international mobility on their diploma. René confides: “The mention on the diploma and the line on the CV is obviously a superb bonus for the world of work, but what we experienced for three weeks was infinitely rich. advise everyone who has the opportunity to go with Erasmus + to do so. It is a fulfilling, rewarding and very beneficial experience!”

Erasmus+ is a European Union scheme that supports the mobility of young learners and their teachers. At La Borde Basse high school, two teams are involved in this program: one for the general high school and the other for the vocational high school. These teams benefit from valuable support from management.

For Pierre-Marie Milone, principal: “the school has been working for several years on Erasmus projects in order to obtain their validation. The international mobility of young high school students from the vocational high school is today a reality. A remarkable mobilization on the part of the establishment teams and students. A real success!”

The La Borde Basse vocational high school specifies that this foreign mobility program will extend to the three sections of professional baccalaureate and invites interested people to come and find out during the high school’s open days in February 2025.