Study highlights benefits of foreign placements for young trainees

Study highlights benefits of foreign placements for young trainees

Allowing young people to undertake part of their vocational training abroad benefits both the trainees and their employers, according to research by the German Federal Institute for Vocational Training.

Some 20 per cent of Germanbusinesses send their young trainees on foreign placements and receive specialized personnel or trainees from abroad. More than 90 per cent of these firms are positive about their experiences with such exchanges. The young people themselves are mainly interested in improving their language skills, specialised qualifications and career prospects.

The survey reveals that foreign placements are more popular among young men than young women. Only 35 per cent of trainees who have worked abroad are women.

Lack of money, inadequate language skills and having no appropriate contacts are among the reasons cited by trainees who have not worked abroad, while companies that have not taken part in foreign exchanges cite financial costs as the main reason. The Federal Institute for Vocational Training recommends financial support for companies, plus practical help from chambers of commerce,as ways of encouraging more firms to take part in foreign exchanges.