Project background Sending organization is the Kaufmännische Schulen Marburg, which offers several educational programs in the vocational fields of business/administration and health. The Kaufmännische Schulen Marburg have many years of experience in international mobility: Since 1996 internships within the Leonardo da Vinci Mobility Project have been supported on a yearly basis to countries like France (e.g. Poitiers), England, Scotland, Spain, Malta, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Poland, portugal, Turkey, Russia, and the Ukraine. Furthermore students have participated in internships in Argentina, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the USA and Canada without EU funding. The apprenticeship aims at students performing secretarial tasks in the service and trade sector and in manufacturing industries. They should acquire the competencies which are necessary in the field of business and be reliant in the use of the English language, orally and in writing. Intercultural competencies are necessary to adequately deal with business partners from other cultural backgrounds on a sustainable basis. The companies are very much in favour of the foreign internships and sometimes even add a participation in such an event to their work contracts with the students. Specific contents of the foreign internships are laid out in the training regulations and the framework curriculum. The educational regulations of the two year full time courses mandates an internship as well. The third group of participants consists of teachers of the KSM. At least two teachers are supposed to travel to one of the partner countries on a yearly basis, to improve their language skills, gather intercultural knowledge and cooperate with the local partner companies to evaluate and advance the projects. The KSM has added the internationalization of teacher training to their school programme, to prepare apprentices and students for taking over responsibility in global contexts and in an increasingly multicultural society. Profile of participants The participants of the project are apprentices doing a three-year dual apprenticeship according to BBiG: management assistants in foreign trade and students taking part in a two-year full-time vocational course: foreign language secretaries.Participants are usually 17 to 30 years old. Activities and objectives of the work placements The interns should -develop competencies on the job (dual apprenticeship) -get practical experience on the job (full time courses) -achieve the learning goals set by their training regulations -improve language skills -increase intercultural competencies -improve knowledge of, and interest in other EU countries -learn how to communicate and do business effectively in other countries -deal with commercial correspondence and documents in another language -get in contact with foreign business partners -take a major step towards becoming a mature individual Expected long term benefit Students with a foreign background have the chance to use their language skills and improve their chances on the domestic job market. Young people from rural or deprived backgrounds get the chance to broaden their horizons and break out of their situation, where transnational mobility was previously unknown or viewed sceptically. Procedure The results of the internships, the experiences of the interns and the impressions of the cooperating companies and organizations are monitored in regular meetings and documented on a regular basis.