The Mobility Project Of The Stuttgart Region Chamber Of Crafts In Volterra / Italy Remains A Success Story .. Gain International Experience

Working in a handicraft business in Italy and expanding your technical, linguistic and cultural knowledge at the same time is what the Stuttgart Region Chamber of Crafts enables young craftsmen to do. After a preparatory weekend, 16 fellows started a three-month study and work stay in Volterra this year. A one-month language course had to be completed on site. Then they could show their Italian bosses craftsmanship "made in Germany" - for example in the renovation of the "Old Hospital" or an Etruscan museum. According to the participants, the contact with previously unknown materials such as alabaster or marble and specific working techniques was exciting.

“The project in Italy was an important experience for me. It is an important asset in European coexistence in these times,”says Fabian Gässler (22), carpenter from Leonberg. Viktor Aidam from Stuttgart also draws a positive conclusion: “Unfortunately, only a few take the chance to work abroad for a while in the skilled trades. I am glad that I had this opportunity,”summarizes the 22-year-old painter and painter. The project partners on the Italian side also drew a positive conclusion of the traditional exchange. Antonella Stillitano, head of the Intercultural Center and the language school in Volterra, supported the young German craftsmen in the language course. She summarizes the message of the exchange as follows: "To convey common values, not only words,but above all culture are translated.”With the participation in this program the craft has made an important contribution to international understanding for years. The Stuttgart Region Chamber of Crafts has initiated and organized the mobility project in Italy since 1999. It has already been awarded twice by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BiBB) as a "Good Practice - Mobility Project" under the Leonardo Program Directive.

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