A typical day of a trainee involves working at the OPC parking office in Aalst, Belgium. The trainee assists the desk attendant, Nadia, and staff head, Benny or Alain De Backer, depending on the day. There are 10 parking attendants who issue tickets in the local area. During lunch, the trainee walks to the shopping street to eat before taking the train home after a day of learning about the parking business.

1. A TYPICAL DAY OF A TRAINEE
I do my traineeship at OPC Aalst.
OPC is a business that gives parking fine tickets, in the parking shop at Aalst. There are 10 parking attendants
who work for the zone ‘Pajottenland’. At the office there are 3 people and me on Thursdays.
I usually work with Nadia (desk attendant) and Benny (staff head and traineeship mentor).
In October my traineeship mentor died, because of problems with his heart. This is the reason why Alain De
Backer became my traineeship mentor.
The parking attendants are nice, they’re friendly and they’re not boring. All the people that work at OPC are
nice!
I like to do my traineeship here, it’s just a little bit far. I have to take the bus and the train. But I have some
friends in Aalst who I meet before and after my traineeship. During my lunch break, I go to the shoppingstreet
and eat something.
After work, I go to the station and take the train to Merelbeke.
I have already learned a lot!