Hosting companies

Benefits for companies and VET institutions

In many European countries we observe the same lack of skilled workers. More and more young people prefer university studies instead of Vocational Education. To face this challenge companies and VET institutions need to rethink and break new ground. One idea is to offer new ways of working to young people, including international work experience to employees as well as employing people from other countries with different cultural and language background.

For companies, international exchange enables

  • a larger international network which brings a compettitive advantage
  • an impetus for a corporate culture and attractiveness to younger people who are open-minded and curious and want to gain experience and technical knowledge (social media)
  • new employees than can be recruited, the reputation of an company can be improved, so that new skilled workers are interested to apply at this company

If you are interested in international cooperation and you would like to offer work experience to young people at your company, here are some suggestions that might lead to a good and sustainable experience for also the employee as well as the employer at the same time.

Conditions that lead to a successful international internship

  • A good time span for a work experience abroad is minimum three three weeks
  • Most companies appreciate students that have a basic knowledge of the local language. But a good knowledge of English is more important for a successful work experience abraod.
  • As a company you should be able to provide a mentor who has time to look after the student and guide him / her.
  • Comanies may favour students who have already been prepared for the world of work at school
  • Students should be accompanied during the exchange by their teacher or a contact person from the school (e.g. online)
  • Preparatory meetings should be organized before the exchange in order to get to know each other and also to address intercultural differences. These meetings should be prepared by the sending school / institution (see Teacher / Educational staff)
  • If you want to host a student from abroad, it is helpful if your company operates internationally or has international customers, at least there should be one person that speaks English that can guide the student.
  • Share your experiences with international students on your Social Media channels. The experience from your company can always be utilized further.

To make the international work experience successfull it is a plus if there is a local partner in the host country who organizes placements and looks after the students while they are abroad.

Useful links: