In October, a group of polish students from the Warsaw Deaf Institute with their teachers and sign-language translators was hosted by euromind in Seville to carry out a ten days weeks-long internship placement in a gastronomy sector. Their practice took place in restaurants located either in the heart of Seville or in a distance from it, led by a young entrepreneurs and their three partners who have experience and great knowledge of Spanish cuisine and Andalusian specials.

Students working as cooks were responsible for preparing the ingredients for consumption or cooking, washing, peeling, cutting fruit and vegetables as well as cutting meat, checking the quality of food, tasting, smelling, punching with utensils, as well as weighing, measuring and mixing ingredients according to recipes and personal judgment. They were also adjusting the temperature of other kitchen equipment depending on the dishes being prepared, seasoning and cooking meals and learning about typical Spanish cuisine and local specialties.

The group of students working as pastry cooks were mixing raw materials and ancillary products in appropriate quantities and preparing different types of dough and creams and also making and decorating different types of tarts and pastries according to basic techniques of bakery. Moreover, they were controlling the temperature and humidity of chambers and ovens, as well as the time of fermentation and baking, displaying different products on the countertop, together with signs identifying the product and its price and later on serving customers and advising them about their choices.

During their stay in Seville, the trainees not only developed their work competencies, but they also travelled among Andalucia which allowed them to get acquainted with Spanish culture and feel like Spanish people in the city of Seville and its surroundings.

They visited the city of Malaga, the perfect place for history, art, and architecture enthusiasts. The city is one of the oldest in the world, and it is full of magnificent monuments that will intrigue many art and history lovers. Furthermore, they visited Matalascañas Beach, one of the nearest beaches in Sevilla´s surroundings. Even though it was October, they could swim and sunbath in the rays of  warm Andalusian sun.

The internship has not only been a time to develop their knowledge and skills and get to know a completely different culture, but it was also a good start into an adult life. Moreover, we hope the internship increased their employability as students with hearing issues. Hopefully, all of this will be an unforgettable memory for our interns and that in the future they will be able to take advantage of everything they have learned during their stay.