In January, 16 students from Bulgaria flew to euroMind Malaga to complete two weeks of vocational training. Half of the group carried out their traineeships in CNC machining, while the other half gained experience working as car mechanics.

During their placements, the students developed new skills in the CNC and car mechanic industry which they had not observed before. The CNC students learnt the basics of CNC machining including dismantling and cleaning the CNC and lathe milling machines. They learnt how to interpret plans and analyse information from technical documents in order to perform both external and internal repairs. Above all, they learnt the health and safety procedures applied in a CNC workshop and how to put them into practice while operating the CNC machines. On the other hand, the car mechanic trainees gained experience in diagnosing faults and repairing vehicles. They learnt how to install and replace car air conditioning units as well as other basic repair and maintenance activities such as oil and filter changes. They used diagnostic computers to identify faults and used manual and power tools to disassemble, repair and then reassemble car parts.

The students also had the opportunity to do some cultural activities during their two week stay in Malaga. Firstly, they went on a Malaga Tour in which they learnt about the history of the magical city, which dates back to 800BC. They were able to see the city´s ruins which are from Roman, Christian and Moorish times and they could imagine how the previous civilizations had lived. They also went on a trip to Gibraltar where they climbed to the top of the rock and saw breathtaking views of Morocco as well as play with the famous macaques (monkeys). Finally, they visited Malaga Sea Life Oceanarium where they learned more about underwater life and were even able to touch starfish and stingrays in the aquarium´s interactive zone.

The group were very satisfied with their placements and have learnt some invaluable skills in their work placements that will help them in their future careers. They were also pleased to have experienced the Spanish language and culture in a city as beautiful as Malaga!