Youth Employment Magazine
Beyond the hands-on experience: International internship as cultural communion Ariadna is one of the few formerly unemployed youth that decided to embark on the YOUTHShare mobility scheme and, after the successful completion of her training in Spain, do an internship in a Greek social enterprise, despite the widespread fear of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like another Lawrence Durrel visiting Rhodes island, she recalls her concerns, her experiences and the funny moments of her internship. By embracing the opportunity to work in the social economy, she coins the true meaning of an international internship: A cultural communion.
One month before my flight to my new town and company, and apart from the interview we’d previously had (which was extremely motivating and made me want to fly the minute after we finished talking), I had not much more information about anything. Three weeks before my flight and I still had no other news about the program. Of course, it was summer! Two weeks to take off and I started to think that I wouldn’t find accommodation, as I wasn’t getting any replies from any of the apartments’ owners I had contacted. With a week to go, I finally got some news. I still had the idea that I was going to get there and that I wouldn’t find anything and would have to go back or else go sightseeing on my own. Even my dad joked “see you next week”. Anyway, I was nervous. And I was in my right to be nervous, even though now, retrospectively, it seems that it wasn’t such a big deal. The day I got on the plane I was still skeptical, of course, but with a bit more reassurance, as I’d had some news both from the apartment owner and from my future employer. The minute I set my foot in Greece I knew that it was going to be alright as, somehow, I had made it there.
I arrived at my apartment, as happy as can be that it actually existed, that it was there. After that, I. P., the manager of my hosting social enterprise, told me some initial things regarding the company and helped me out with getting into the city. The apartment was conveniently located exactly next to the office. And this would mean, apart from not having an excuse for being late to work, that I was going to meet most of the manager’s family, as it was part of a family-owned building. In other words, direct immersion in the ‘Greek way of living’.
“I’ve been lucky to take part in the YOUTHShare project, which promotes youth employability, particularly among young NEETs and helps familiarize them with the concept of social economy. After I finished with the first part of the program, the e-learning course, I was quite surprised that we were offered the possibility to go abroad for the training part (although apparently nobody else seemed interested in that!).
It was Sunday midday and there was not a soul on the streets. I went for a walk and took deep breaths of relief. I had spent weeks worrying that I didn’t have enough information, but I had made it after all. I’d love to say that this had already taught me something, but the most probable thing is that I’m going to worry about uncertain things for most of my future life.
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