About This Project

Eight students from Slovakia spent two weeks on a work placement in Ireland, based in Limerick.

IBD Partnership Group found and arranged an employer for every student, drawing on the same approach we use for all our work placements across our destinations. The visit was organised locally by The RALF Partnership, whose tutors Ashley and Joan looked after accommodation, placements and day-to-day support. Students stayed with host families across Limerick. It’s the kind of Erasmus+ mobility that vocational students rarely get through classroom study alone.

The programme closed with a certificate ceremony on the students’ final workday, and the group flew home to Slovakia from Dublin airport.

What the Students Did

Each student worked in a different part of Limerick’s economy, and the sectors were quite varied. Most were using English with the public for the first time in a working setting.

Marek worked in retail at a local paint and decorating supplier. He restocked shelves, labelled products, helped customers find what they needed and learned to use the till. Serving customers in English gave him plenty of practice with everyday product vocabulary, and he picked up a good sense of how a small shop runs.

Filip K., Pavol and Filip V. were placed together with an education organisation in the city. Their days involved office and administrative work: preparing materials, filing, entering data and greeting visitors. Working as a team of three meant they could share tasks and check each other’s English, and they came away more confident in a professional office setting.

Lukas and Tereza spent their placement at a museum in the city centre. They welcomed visitors, answered questions about the building and its exhibits, and saw how a museum looks after its collection and presents it to the public. Talking to international visitors every day pushed their spoken English along quickly.

Alexandra was placed with a small craft business. She helped prepare and arrange pressed flowers, packed orders and spoke with customers in the shop. The work called for patience and a careful eye, and it showed her how a creative business is run on a small scale.

Michaela completed her placement at a cathedral in the city. She greeted visitors, gave directions and basic information about the building, and helped with front-of-house tasks. Handling questions from people of many nationalities built her confidence in speaking English with the public.

Outside work, the group took part in a welcome meeting and city tour led by tutor Joan Wallace at the Widow’s Alms houses on Nicholas Street, which gave them their bearings in Limerick before the placements started. During their stay they also made a cultural trip to the Cliffs of Moher.

About IBD Partnership Group

IBD Partnership Group has been organising Erasmus+ and international work placements for European students in the UK since 2005, welcoming more than 50,000 participants from across Europe. We handle everything from employer matching and host family accommodation to welfare support, airport transfers and all Erasmus+ documentation. You can read more about how other groups got on in our success stories, or work through eligibility and application routes in our Erasmus+ resources.

If you are a school, VET college or sending organisation looking to place students in the UK, contact us today.