My project involves me working as a trainee mechanic for De Palm Tours here in Aruba and I work day and night shifts on alternate weeks. As part of this, I repair and service their fleet of UTVs, jeeps and buses on a daily basis and assist on engine maintenance for their De Palm Island ferries, small dinghies and 80ft catamaran. In the following months I will be helping with refitting and repainting a boat and constructing the new adult water park on De Palm Island. Also day shifts involve being sent out on road call to deliver replacement UTVs to meet the tourist groups at various sites across the island.

Overall I think I am most surprised that there is no fresh produce on the island, not even tropical fruit as it is all imported from overseas by plane or ship, which does make food shopping an expensive event.

I feel I have gained many skills already from this amazing project including learning how to weld (arc welding, MIG and oxy-fuel) and off-road driving, plus I have improved my cooking skills and qualified as a PADI Open Water scuba diver.

Felix Baines
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Vocational Educational Training (VET) project part of ‘Discovering More’, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.