The project "European Experience II" enables 41 students at the Austrian Secondary College for Occupations in the Service Industries and Tourism Marienberg in Austria to do their 12-week compulsory placement abroad. The students can do their compulsory placement in 4- or 5-star hotels in one of the European Unions's member states. The placement in the hotels can be done in the kitchen, the restaurant, at the reception or in housekeeping. Besides getting some practical training as a chef or a waitress the compulsory placement is also an important tool for the students to acquire social and personal skills (soft skills) which can be only taught to a limited extent at school. To become part of this project the students need to show a great level of ambition and self-dependence. Furthermore, the placement abroad raises awareness for the importance of getting international work experience. This project also improves the quality of the curriculum offered at this school and it increases the employability of those students taking part in the project. The placement abroad stiffles European identity among the participants and it tries to raise further interest in gaining international work experience or in studying abroad in the future.