As part of their training to become industrial clerks with additional qualifications in international business management and foreign languages, Jenny and Tina who are in their second year of training were given the opportunity to spend time abroad at one of ebm‑papst's international branches from May to June 2022. They also had the chance to attend a language school to improve their language skills. During their stay, they not only got to know the day-to-day work and cooperation between the respective branch and the headquarters in Mulfingen. It also gave them the possibility to better understand and experience the local culture and country.

Jenny's stay in England started off with a somewhat strenuous journey, as she had to cross the whole of London with her heavy luggage. However, the hardships were quickly forgotten when she finally arrived at her apartment in Chelmsford. She was immediately delighted with both the city and with the apartment that would be her home for the next eight weeks. On her first day at work, she was warmly welcomed by her colleagues while everyone showed their appreciation for Jenny's support in the coming weeks.

On site, her responsibilities included working in sales, where she created orders and processed customer inquiries. At the same time, she was able to take on tasks from the marketing team and create posts for the company's social media channels.

In addition to her goal to improve her business English, she also made numerous new experiences and was able to grow personally. Especially at the beginning, she found it rather difficult to approach strangers in English – as for her it is a foreign language. Towards the end of her stay, she no longer felt uneasy at all and is already looking forward to getting to know other cultures and people when the time is right.

Jenny used her free evenings to go for walks with colleagues or to eat out in one of the local restaurants. On the weekends, she often went on short trips to the surrounding area. Thanks to the good public transport, she was only a short distance from either London or the sea.

During her time in London, Jenny was able to experience a true highlight: Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 70th throne Jubilee and Jenny was there to witness thousands of people celebrating this special event with great joy and much enthusiasm.

Tina spent her first four weeks in Spain at the language school in Cádiz where she was able to brush up on her Spanish grammar.

In the afternoons, she explored the city with her fellow students, took a swim in the sea and also really immersed herself in Spanish culture.

Off to Spain - Tina is on her way and Leon Green is of course always with her!

The remaining four weeks were spent at the ebm‑papst branch in Madrid. Tina was warmly welcomed by her Spanish colleagues, who were delighted to have her there for a visit. After being shown around, she was assigned a permanent workstation and familiarized herself with her duties for the next four weeks. Her main task was to support the management assistance with their daily work. She frequently checked deliveries from Mulfingen, recorded prices and checked incoming payments.

Tina was able to fully immerse herself - in working with her colleagues, into the Spanish language and culture.

Tina used her time in Madrid not only to develop professionally, but also to better understand Spanish culture, experience the everyday working environment and further improve her language skills.

Looking back, both are very grateful for the experiences that ebm‑papst has made possible for them during their stay – despite the coronavirus pandemic. They found the experience unforgettable and both came back with the feeling that they had grown personally and gained valuable new skills. To enable other colleagues to share this experience, they recommend that future apprentices also undertake the stay abroad. They are already looking forward to hearing the exciting stories of the apprentices who were able to visit one of the ebm‑papst branches in the coming years.