If the trip had been to China, we could have applied for Promos. Instead, the FHDW International Office showed us the option of applying for Erasmus+. In general, the International Office was very helpful and provided us with the best possible support for all our questions at all times. We are very grateful that the International Office supported us at all times, because although our partner company is experienced with stays abroad for dual students, we were only the second to go to Portugal. We were therefore in very close contact with the International Office in advance, which helped us to fill out various forms etc.

We had to submit a letter of motivation, a CV and the current FHDW certificates as well as a confirmation from the internship company. We were finally accepted for the Erasmus+ scholarship at the beginning of December.

Once all the necessary documents had been submitted and the language test completed, the organization of the stay abroad could begin. This included booking an apartment, flights, transfers to the airport, international insurance and making arrangements with the office in Portugal, all of which was organized by our HR department. So all we had to do was pack our suitcases for a period of three months, which sounds easy at first, but was more difficult than expected …

We flew from Frankfurt to Porto together with a colleague from the Portuguese office. After landing after a three-hour flight, our colleague took us to our Airbnb in Matosinhos. We settled in there and later explored the area. Our apartment was just a five-minute walk from the beach and shopping facilities in the form of supermarkets or small markets were also within easy walking distance. We felt incredibly at home in our new Portuguese home after just one day.

On the second day, we got to know all our new colleagues from the office and also visited some suppliers. The visits to the shoe factories were of course particularly exciting for us, as the product cycle came full circle for us here. In Detmold, at the headquarters of Wortmann KG and our normal workplace, we had already learned a lot about shoes, customer appointments and shipping boxes to our customers. In Portugal, we were also able to learn about the individual production steps involved in the finished shoe.

Wortmann works with several factories in Portugal. We therefore had the opportunity to see the differences and similarities in the production processes. Of course, the production steps in the factories are similar and many similar machines are used. Nevertheless, the factories always have the opportunity to exchange ideas with the other producers via Wortmann and thus improve. In general, the factories have a cooperative relationship with each other and can therefore help each other out in the event of possible supply bottlenecks for materials etc.

After just one month on site, we were able to experience first-hand how many suppliers, production facilities and Wortmann employees are involved in delivering the perfect goods to the stores. Of course, with so many materials and factories, challenges also arise. Whether it’s the leather, the soles or the laces that were delivered in a different color – together we always find a solution for every challenge!

In addition to visiting the production facilities, we were able to attend meetings with leather suppliers and learn how much administrative work is involved in addition to the operational support of the factories. Prices have to be negotiated, color spectra for the upper materials defined, documentation on possible difficulties or anomalies in production updated and much more.

In addition to the daily factory visits and the many meetings with suppliers, we completed tasks in the office independently. All in all, each of our days was varied and exciting, as there were always new and exciting things to see and experience.

After work or at the weekend, we were still able to visit restaurants, cafés or shopping centers for the first two weeks of our stay. Unfortunately, the number of coronavirus infections rose to such an extent that everything had to close. Nevertheless, we were still able to go to the beach in Matosinhos, explore the supermarkets and take a closer look at the city. Long walks, jogging laps at sunset or simply having breakfast on the beach with Portuguese croissants were still possible and incredibly beautiful!

The cost of living in Portugal is comparable to Germany. Shopping is about as expensive as in Germany, restaurants tend to be slightly cheaper. As we had the opportunity to cook in our apartment almost like at home, we often did this at the weekend and sampled Portuguese cuisine during the week.

After around five weeks – and therefore around two months earlier than expected – we unfortunately had to end our stay abroad. The infection figures in Portugal became increasingly worrying and the situation on the ground became much more tense. The country was considered a risk area. Initially, we and Wortmann took a wait-and-see approach, but due to the potential lack of medical care in the event of an infection and fewer and fewer planes flying to Germany, Wortmann decided to fly us back to Germany from Portugal.

We were incredibly sad that our time in Portugal ended so soon. Fortunately, we were able to continue our internship in Germany and gain a few more insights. Nevertheless, it’s obviously not the same as being on site, especially in a department where production plays such a big role.