Going on the Erasmus+ placement to Tenerife was one of the best experiences of my life. As I finished secondary school last year I never had the chance to work abroad so when I heard about the Erasmus+ placement I knew I had to apply. I really wanted to experience a new culture and improve the skills I was already learning in GTI. I definitely think I achieved this in Spain.
I got to experience the Spanish culture fully as we were completely immersed in it from day 1. We tried local Spanish foods such as tortilla and we went out and experienced Spanish nightlife at the weekends. Getting to see the Carnaval at the end of our work placement was also an amazing cultural experience. Everyone on the island is so proud of their culture and they really embrace it.
Only our designer, Santi, spoke English at our workplace so we thrown in at the deep end with our Spanish. The lessons we had before the trip with our Spanish teacher Dennis were of huge benefit to us and I was glad we got the chance to pick up a few phrases. Learning to communicate in Spanish and to communicate with people who didn't speak English helped improve my confidence also.
While working with Santi and his team I was able to learn lots of tips and tricks of the trade. He taught us how to work efficiently with others and how to work as a team. We got to see how they re-used the majority of the materials used from last year's dress. I found this particularly interesting because it opened my eyes to the designers creativity and ingenuity. They are all so talented and making the floats is without doubt an art form. It really made me appreciate the work that the designers carry out and it inspired me greatly.
As well as being a brilliant way to learn new skills and experience a different culture, this experience will help me in the future when applying for jobs. Practical experience is a wonderful way to make yourself stand out to employers.
Overall I absolutely loved my Erasmus+ placement and I can't wait to get back to see the carnival next year.
I got to experience the Spanish culture fully as we were completely immersed in it from day 1. We tried local Spanish foods such as tortilla and we went out and experienced Spanish nightlife at the weekends. Getting to see the Carnaval at the end of our work placement was also an amazing cultural experience. Everyone on the island is so proud of their culture and they really embrace it.
Only our designer, Santi, spoke English at our workplace so we thrown in at the deep end with our Spanish. The lessons we had before the trip with our Spanish teacher Dennis were of huge benefit to us and I was glad we got the chance to pick up a few phrases. Learning to communicate in Spanish and to communicate with people who didn't speak English helped improve my confidence also.
While working with Santi and his team I was able to learn lots of tips and tricks of the trade. He taught us how to work efficiently with others and how to work as a team. We got to see how they re-used the majority of the materials used from last year's dress. I found this particularly interesting because it opened my eyes to the designers creativity and ingenuity. They are all so talented and making the floats is without doubt an art form. It really made me appreciate the work that the designers carry out and it inspired me greatly.
As well as being a brilliant way to learn new skills and experience a different culture, this experience will help me in the future when applying for jobs. Practical experience is a wonderful way to make yourself stand out to employers.
Overall I absolutely loved my Erasmus+ placement and I can't wait to get back to see the carnival next year.
The trip to Tenerife was a very positive experience for me. It allowed me to integrate into another culture and practice a new language. It was really interesting discovering not only the differences between these, but also the similarities that exist between people from such different places.
On a professional level I learned how to communicate more effectively with people and how to work as part of a team. I also practiced self-motivated work. The program allowed me the opportunity to work on a project that would never have been possible at home and the chance to create the work that we did and to see it on stage and national television was very exciting. We were given excellent training at GTI before leaving the country and the level of mentorship in Tenerife was an excellent balance between having somebody to rely on and giving us enough freedom to explore the city for ourselves and develop our independence. I believe that this experience can only have a positive impact on my future career path. Not only on a professional level, by enhancing my CV and providing me with new skills, but also on a personal level by giving me self-confidence and reliance that I didn’t have before the program.
On a professional level I learned how to communicate more effectively with people and how to work as part of a team. I also practiced self-motivated work. The program allowed me the opportunity to work on a project that would never have been possible at home and the chance to create the work that we did and to see it on stage and national television was very exciting. We were given excellent training at GTI before leaving the country and the level of mentorship in Tenerife was an excellent balance between having somebody to rely on and giving us enough freedom to explore the city for ourselves and develop our independence. I believe that this experience can only have a positive impact on my future career path. Not only on a professional level, by enhancing my CV and providing me with new skills, but also on a personal level by giving me self-confidence and reliance that I didn’t have before the program.
After completing the Erasmus+ placement, I have come away with new knowledge ,skills that I can take away with me for the future and lifelong friends. I really appreciate the whole experience from living with a great bunch of girls in good accommodation to working with a fantastic designer who took great care of us and really appreciated our help.
We got to see how a well known, foreign designer works and how he goes through the process of creating one of his designs. It felt great to be part of a team and see how everybody had different strengths. We got chatting with Santi’s employees which were mostly his family and friends and we got to practice the bit of Spanish we learned from our classes before we left with them. It was a lot of fun. On our days off we tried to use as much Spanish as we could too. The North part of the island didn’t have much English so our Spanish classes came in handy.
Having seen the process of creating a design from start to finish, I can now use my own initiative to go and do what needs to be done in future projects. This was also an experience to see how well I would work in a team in a different country and manage my own personal time and money. And having completed the trip, I am more confident in myself that I can go out on my own with my new found knowledge and skills to pursue the creative career I desire. I recommend this placement to anybody who loves creativity and culture. This trip also made me want to immerse myself into language learning and to learn about other cultures and learn what is important to the people in every culture. I am so grateful for this experience. It’s an experience I cannot forget.
We got to see how a well known, foreign designer works and how he goes through the process of creating one of his designs. It felt great to be part of a team and see how everybody had different strengths. We got chatting with Santi’s employees which were mostly his family and friends and we got to practice the bit of Spanish we learned from our classes before we left with them. It was a lot of fun. On our days off we tried to use as much Spanish as we could too. The North part of the island didn’t have much English so our Spanish classes came in handy.
Having seen the process of creating a design from start to finish, I can now use my own initiative to go and do what needs to be done in future projects. This was also an experience to see how well I would work in a team in a different country and manage my own personal time and money. And having completed the trip, I am more confident in myself that I can go out on my own with my new found knowledge and skills to pursue the creative career I desire. I recommend this placement to anybody who loves creativity and culture. This trip also made me want to immerse myself into language learning and to learn about other cultures and learn what is important to the people in every culture. I am so grateful for this experience. It’s an experience I cannot forget.
I really enjoyed my work placement in Spain, working with designer Santi Castro and his team, helping him design his costumes for the big Carnival in Santa Cruz. The placement has benefitted me in numerous ways, from my design skills, my communication skills and my creativity.
While working with Santi and his team a lot of our work was done with glue guns, and honestly it’s something that I would never have used or even think of using as part of a design. Costume design was never an option for me and I still can’t see myself in this area but what I have learnt will stand to me in the future. To see his design on paper and how he was able to translate that into a real life costume was just incredible. He is a very talented and creative man. To look at his drawing and see the detail and the colours he used, how and where he used them was amazing. It highlighted to me that drawing isn’t everything when you are in the process of making it and seeing it in real life it is very different and as I am not very artistic myself it’s good to know that designers are always changing their minds and don’t always stick to their original ideas.
I have definitely developed some confidence and learnt that everyone has different opinions and views in life so you just have to accept that and continue to do what you think is the right thing. When all the Queens were on stage Santi’s design was the only one that was completely different to everyone else’s and it was nice to see someone not follow the crowd and do his own thing. I think that is a very appealing and brave thing to do as a designer.
Communication was definitely hard during the work time as none of the workers spoke English only Santi himself. Even though we had a language barrier with many of our co-workers we still got on very well with them and we always did our work to the expected standard.
It’s a great experience to work abroad and as a young girl I always wanted to travel and see the world but after my time away I don’t think travelling is for me as i’m a home girl for sure. My time away made me appreciate my family, friends and home comforts but I have learnt many new skills that I will use going forward of which I am grateful for.
While working with Santi and his team a lot of our work was done with glue guns, and honestly it’s something that I would never have used or even think of using as part of a design. Costume design was never an option for me and I still can’t see myself in this area but what I have learnt will stand to me in the future. To see his design on paper and how he was able to translate that into a real life costume was just incredible. He is a very talented and creative man. To look at his drawing and see the detail and the colours he used, how and where he used them was amazing. It highlighted to me that drawing isn’t everything when you are in the process of making it and seeing it in real life it is very different and as I am not very artistic myself it’s good to know that designers are always changing their minds and don’t always stick to their original ideas.
I have definitely developed some confidence and learnt that everyone has different opinions and views in life so you just have to accept that and continue to do what you think is the right thing. When all the Queens were on stage Santi’s design was the only one that was completely different to everyone else’s and it was nice to see someone not follow the crowd and do his own thing. I think that is a very appealing and brave thing to do as a designer.
Communication was definitely hard during the work time as none of the workers spoke English only Santi himself. Even though we had a language barrier with many of our co-workers we still got on very well with them and we always did our work to the expected standard.
It’s a great experience to work abroad and as a young girl I always wanted to travel and see the world but after my time away I don’t think travelling is for me as i’m a home girl for sure. My time away made me appreciate my family, friends and home comforts but I have learnt many new skills that I will use going forward of which I am grateful for.
Looking back on my time in Tenerife I found the whole experience extremely beneficial. It was a wonderful opportunity to work with such a talented team and improve many skills. My artistic skills vastly improved as well as my ability to work on my own initiative. I really enjoyed working as a part of our team and feel that my communication skills greatly improved because of this. My Spanish quickly improved after spending time working with the team. I learned new skills such as using a glue gun and completing intricate, artistic tasks.
Working in Tenerife has helped me discover that I would like to work abroad again in the future as once I got my bearings I felt confident in my new surroundings. I feel that this experience will improve my job opportunities as employers will look favourably on the fact I was selected to participate in this programme.
One of the main highlights of the trip was experiencing a culture different from my own perspective, from a work point of view. Forming new relationships with both the members of our team and the students from GTI made the biggest impact on me. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming it really helped make the experience the best it could be.
Working in Tenerife has helped me discover that I would like to work abroad again in the future as once I got my bearings I felt confident in my new surroundings. I feel that this experience will improve my job opportunities as employers will look favourably on the fact I was selected to participate in this programme.
One of the main highlights of the trip was experiencing a culture different from my own perspective, from a work point of view. Forming new relationships with both the members of our team and the students from GTI made the biggest impact on me. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming it really helped make the experience the best it could be.
After completing this Erasmus+ programme I feel I have benefited greatly. My knowledge of the Spanish language has hugely improved. The Spanish classes we took at GTI before leaving, helped with my understanding of both the Spanish language and culture. My confidence grew every day and I was soon able to communicate with people without feeling nervous and embarrassed. This trip also enhanced my independence.
I feel that because of this programme, I can adapt to any environment. I believe that I am more employable after completing this programme I have learned so many new skills that will definitely stand to me in the future. I have dealt with and overcame many fears, not only professionally but personally also. It has definitely made me a stronger person and I imagine that I can take on many other challenges that scare me. During the three weeks in Tenerife I made new friends and we worked well as a team. I also met new people and explored the Spanish culture to which I found very interesting and fun. Overall The Erasmus+ placement was an unforgettable experience that I will always remember and look upon with many fond memories.
I feel that because of this programme, I can adapt to any environment. I believe that I am more employable after completing this programme I have learned so many new skills that will definitely stand to me in the future. I have dealt with and overcame many fears, not only professionally but personally also. It has definitely made me a stronger person and I imagine that I can take on many other challenges that scare me. During the three weeks in Tenerife I made new friends and we worked well as a team. I also met new people and explored the Spanish culture to which I found very interesting and fun. Overall The Erasmus+ placement was an unforgettable experience that I will always remember and look upon with many fond memories.
Getting the chance to work abroad with such an amazing designer was a one in a million opportunity and I feel so fortunate to have gotten to do it. I have always loved learning about new cultures and exploring different parts of the world. I have also always wondered about moving abroad and working there for a while but was always too afraid to take such a risk. This opportunity, that I was lucky enough to be given, gave me the chance to do all of these things. And I would do it all over again if I could.
Santi Castro, the designer I worked with, was an amazing, creative man who was so welcoming to all of us and thought us so much about design and using our imagination. During my time working with him and his team I developed many skills, such as learning Spanish, working as a team, gaining more confidence with meeting new people. I was happy to have developed these skills as they were always things that I wanted to improve on. Also, because I am studying fashion and want to have a career in this area, he thought us all about where his ideas come from. Also where he gets his inspiration from and thought us a lot of tricks on how to reuse items and pieces and turn them into your own designs.
From this experience I now feel that I have better opportunities for my future career. I am comfortable to travel abroad and would love the opportunity to do it again. I also have more developed language skills and feel that I would love to learn some more in the future. The travel bug is still in me and I know that because of this amazing experience I am now a lot more comfortable with travelling and seeing new places.
I would recommend this opportunity to anyone if they had the chance to do it. Just go for it and I promise, you won’t regret it.
Santi Castro, the designer I worked with, was an amazing, creative man who was so welcoming to all of us and thought us so much about design and using our imagination. During my time working with him and his team I developed many skills, such as learning Spanish, working as a team, gaining more confidence with meeting new people. I was happy to have developed these skills as they were always things that I wanted to improve on. Also, because I am studying fashion and want to have a career in this area, he thought us all about where his ideas come from. Also where he gets his inspiration from and thought us a lot of tricks on how to reuse items and pieces and turn them into your own designs.
From this experience I now feel that I have better opportunities for my future career. I am comfortable to travel abroad and would love the opportunity to do it again. I also have more developed language skills and feel that I would love to learn some more in the future. The travel bug is still in me and I know that because of this amazing experience I am now a lot more comfortable with travelling and seeing new places.
I would recommend this opportunity to anyone if they had the chance to do it. Just go for it and I promise, you won’t regret it.
The Erasmus+ placement has been an invaluable experience to me, both on a personal and an academic level. It has allowed me the opportunity to work abroad within a very proud culture that is very deeply rooted in tradition. It has helped me develop my creative side through the Tenerife Carnival; a side which I rarely get to develop on a scale of this nature here at home. It has made me more confident in many aspects on my life, aspects such as my communication skills, language skills, my own self confidence while reinforcing my ability to work well with others. It has been a wonderful, once in a lifetime experience where I have met new friends and even though there was a language barrier these friendships still managed to form. I believe that because the Erasmus+ placement is a rare opportunity that it will enhance any of my future job applications and has given me more confidence that my chosen career path is the right one for me.
My main goal for working on the Erasmus+ programme was to experience a new culture and develop my own self confidence. This was an opportunity for me that was so beneficial to my own personal growth and maturity that I feel that I have grown successfully as a person and experienced a once in a lifetime moment that I will always treasure.
Working with Daniel Pages and his team in Santa Cruz was like stepping into a new world where no one knew who I was or what I was capable of, it was a chance for me to prove myself and I was willing to put myself into the work 100% to prove that I would be a valuable member of any team, now or hereafter. I felt I grew through this experience and having to put myself out there and attempt to communicate in another language was a daunting experience, but I felt that the people of Tenerife could see that I was at least trying to understand and appreciate their culture in my attempts to speak Spanish. Having to speak a new language to be able to avail of help within the work placement was an eye opening experience that showed me that there was a lot that I didn’t know about the world.
Experiencing a new world like that was humbling. I realised once out there that if I open my eyes more to the ways of the world, there’s more than a million opportunities for someone like me to reap. This experience is something that I will be proud to display on my CV in the future as I really did learn so many new skills and abilities while out there. I also learned a lot about myself. Generally, I have a very reserved personality when it comes to meeting new people, but once there, the people of Tenerife, especially the members of Daniel’s team, were so accepting, friendly and understanding that it opened my eyes to the notion; that though we may live many hundreds of miles apart, we are the same people. We are Europeans, and this experience made me proud to be apart of a Union that embraces these international exchanges. We may speak different languages and have centuries worth of differing cultures, but that is also what unites us: our differences; because our ancient cultures and differences led to me being able to experience the unique magic that is Tenerife.
Working with Daniel Pages and his team in Santa Cruz was like stepping into a new world where no one knew who I was or what I was capable of, it was a chance for me to prove myself and I was willing to put myself into the work 100% to prove that I would be a valuable member of any team, now or hereafter. I felt I grew through this experience and having to put myself out there and attempt to communicate in another language was a daunting experience, but I felt that the people of Tenerife could see that I was at least trying to understand and appreciate their culture in my attempts to speak Spanish. Having to speak a new language to be able to avail of help within the work placement was an eye opening experience that showed me that there was a lot that I didn’t know about the world.
Experiencing a new world like that was humbling. I realised once out there that if I open my eyes more to the ways of the world, there’s more than a million opportunities for someone like me to reap. This experience is something that I will be proud to display on my CV in the future as I really did learn so many new skills and abilities while out there. I also learned a lot about myself. Generally, I have a very reserved personality when it comes to meeting new people, but once there, the people of Tenerife, especially the members of Daniel’s team, were so accepting, friendly and understanding that it opened my eyes to the notion; that though we may live many hundreds of miles apart, we are the same people. We are Europeans, and this experience made me proud to be apart of a Union that embraces these international exchanges. We may speak different languages and have centuries worth of differing cultures, but that is also what unites us: our differences; because our ancient cultures and differences led to me being able to experience the unique magic that is Tenerife.
My placement was in Tenerife where I worked with designer Santi Castro making a garment for Queen of the Carnival. I believe doing this placement has provided me with skills that will benefit me in my fashion career. These skills include communication skills, team-work, creative skill and organisation skills. While on placement I believe I’ve built confidence from learning to live independently and I’ve made friends for life. Going forward I strongly believe it’s was an amazing opportunity which I was blessed to have taken part in. In the future I think it will look good in my CV when applying for jobs and attending interviews.