Testimonials from international internships at ITV Ice Makers

In this interview, we speak with four mechatronics students from Germany — Felix, Ali, Kerim, and Lukas — who have completed a four-week internship at ITV Ice Makers in Valencia. They share their impressions, the challenges of working in a new country, and the skills they’ve developed during this enriching international experience.

How would you describe your first impression when you arrived at ITV?

Honestly, we were really impressed. The workplace is very large—much bigger than what we’re used to seeing in Germany. Everything is very well organized, and everyone knows exactly what their tasks are. It gave us a feeling of professionalism from the very beginning.

Did you know ITV before coming here?

Not personally, but before coming, our teacher gave us some information about the company. We did some research on our own and checked out their Instagram profile. It looked like a very interesting and professional company. It was a great first virtual impression.

What did you study in your country?

We are doing a vocational training program as mechatronics technicians. It’s a combination of mechanics, electronics, and programming.

And what have you done here during these weeks? What were your tasks at ITV?

At the beginning, we worked in the quality control department alongside Sofia and another colleague. We were responsible for checking the values of certain components to see if they were within the correct range. It was a task that required a lot of focus. After that, we moved on to other areas.

Right now, we’re working in the area where the silos are managed. We remove metallic residues from some sheets, and we also pack small bags using a manual shovel. It’s a more physical job, but also quite interesting. It’s not monotonous at all—every day we do different tasks, which makes time go by quickly. There’s a lot of rotation, so we get to learn a variety of things.

What new skill do you think you have developed or improved here?

I think the skill we’ve improved the most is communication with others. Since we don’t all speak the same language, we’ve learned to understand each other using English and also gestures. It’s a challenge, but also a great personal and professional experience.

What has it been like to work in a different country?

It has been a completely new experience. We had to adapt to an environment where not everyone speaks our language. For example, I work with Ricardo—he doesn’t speak English, and I don’t speak Spanish. But we manage to communicate with gestures and gradually understand each other. It’s a continuous learning process.
In my case, I work with Edu, and he can speak some English. When he doesn’t know a word, he shows me what I need to do. He first demonstrates the task, and then I do it. It works really well
.

Have you noticed any differences between how people work in Germany and here?

Yes, quite a few. In Germany, everything is more serious and structured. Here, people work with a very positive attitude. Everyone is smiling, and there’s a lot of good energy in the workplace.

What surprised you the most about Spanish culture?

Actually, nothing unexpected happened. Everything went as we imagined. We were expecting a good four-week experience, and that’s exactly what we got.

Are you going to come back to Spain to do another internship?Would you recommend this experience to other students from your university?

If we have the opportunity, absolutely. We’d even like to come back with my family to show them around Valencia. We already know the city, so we could be their tour guide.

Definitely, we would recommend this experience.. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn—not only professionally but also on a personal level.

 And if you could describe your experience at ITV in one word, what would it be?

Ali: Fantastic.
Felix: Impressive.
Kerim: Nice.
Lukas: New—everything was new to us.