Project Title: trainees in the food industry gain intercultural and professional competence in EU countries The Elisabeth-Lüders-Berufskolleg is a vocational college offering training courses with a focus on the health, food, and social sector. Currently, there are 1,650 students and approximately 100 teachers at the Elisabeth-Lüders-Berufskolleg. The submitted project focuses on our trainee programs for sales people for the food industry with an emphasis on bakery / confectionary. The participants are currently enrolled in their second year as apprentices in our dual education system and aim to graduate as salespeople for bakeries / confectionaries, baker, or pastry chef / confectioner. The location for the internship abroad is Vienna, Austria. The participants will work and train in various local branches of a bakery / confectionary company (Bäckerei Grimm). The project offers two time slots for four trainees each. The Elisabeth-Lüders-Berufskolleg will organize the internship, and the Bäckerei Grimm will provide supervision during the time of the placement. During the internship, the trainees… • get to know production processes and product composition of Austrian bakery products • recognize specific product features and qualities • learn to describe sales and production processes • learn to render services and sales actively, including advising costumers on products appropriately, using adequate language and arguments during sales conversations, and testing and evaluating sales techniques • get know package techniques specific to Austria and evaluate their usefulness for the German market • recognize customary preferences for production processes • learn to appreciate the diversity within the EU During the internship, the company (Bäckerei Grimm) will be responsible for… • introducing the trainees to the job as a bakery salesperson in Austria • providing information on the bakery / confectionary trade in Austria • providing information on customary production processes • supervising the trainees during their job-specific activities (sales conversations, billing etc.) • offering company training programs • including trainees in the organization and execution of special events Expected and anticipated results: The project partners, especially the Austrian company involved, have profited considerably from this exchange so far. The trainees were able to bring their experience to the table and share as well as gain significant insight into production and sales processes as well as systems of education of sales people in two different countries. This is one of the expected results of this project. The trainees’ personal as well as professional competence, specifically with regard to international exchanges and intercultural learning including self-awareness and self-dependence, will benefit significantly. Additionally, we expect an increase in the ability to empathize with diverse people, especially people with migration background.