Traineeship abroad for VET learners
A stay abroad during an apprenticeship - it's possible: VET students/apprentices and graduates can gain work experience abroad via the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+. This provides professional and intercultural expertise and that certain something for the CV.
Overview
For whom
- VET students/apprentices and apprenticeship graduates in vocational education and training (EBA, EFZ, BM)
Duration
- 5 to 365 days
Where
- In Europe and worldwide (outgoing)
- In Switzerland (incoming)
What we fund
- Financial support for organisation, travel, stay and language course
What to do
- Interested participants should contact their vocational school, their training provider, their canton's mobility centre or other institutions that offer work placements
- The educational institution contacts potential partners, organises the internships and submits a funding application
Deadlines
- Application deadline: 5 March and 1 October
- Project start: 1 June and 1 December
In detail
A traineeship abroad enables VET students and apprenticeship graduates to practise their profession in another country. Participants work in Europe or elsewhere in the world for up to a year. The Swiss vocational schools, the Swiss professional association or the training provider in Switzerland are responsible for arranging an internship and providing on-site support.
VET students/apprentices acquire important professional and personal skills during their internship abroad. Preparation by the Swiss institution and a voluntary language course on site simplify the start abroad.
Traineeships abroad can be organised individually or in a group. The organising Swiss institution can plan the exchange unilaterally (outgoing) or as a reciprocal exchange between, for example, two training providers or two vocational schools (outgoing and incoming).
This activity is funded by the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+. This programme allows Swiss institutions to organise activities similar to the ones funded by the European education programme Erasmus+.
Requirements
For participants:
- You are in a basic vocational training programme (EBA, EFZ or BM).
- For apprenticeship graduates, completion of basic vocational training (EBA, EFZ or BM) must not be more than 12 months ago at the start of the internship.
- A group leader / accompanying persons can accompany underage VET students or VET students with little experience abroad to ensure their safety and effective learning during the mobility experience.
- The educational institution can also define its own criteria for participation.
For educational institutions:
- Vocational schools, (apprenticeship) companies, professional associations, cantonal vocational training offices and other vocational training-related organisations based in Switzerland (public or private) can submit a funding application.
- At least one partner institution per internship destination is required.
- Individuals and for-profit exchange service providers such as intermediary agencies are not eligible to apply.
To the work placement:
- The minimum requirement is an internship with an 80% workload.
- The duration of the internship for VET students/apprentices is between 5 and 365 days. For apprenticeship graduates, the internship lasts a maximum of 180 days.
Funding amounts
Funding amounts depend on the location and Duration of the internship abroad and apply to incoming and outgoing students:
- Organisation fee for the institution: CHF 250 to CHF 450 depending on the number of participants (only for outgoing participants)
- For the trip: CHF 400 to CHF 1,000 depending on the country, per person (for VET students/apprentices and group leaders / accompanying persons).
- For the stay: CHF 40 to CHF 91 for VET students/apprentices and apprentices and CHF 120 to CHF 180 for group leaders / accompanying persons, per day depending on the country and duration (excluding travelling days)
- For language preparation courses: CHF 190 per person (only for outgoing students)
- For group leaders / accompanying persons: Contributions for accommodation and travelling expenses as described above.
- For the specific needs of individuals with disabilities or those suffering from physical, mental, or chronic illnesses: Max. 12,000 CHF (actual costs based on the note of requirements)Insurance and any visa fees are at your expense.
You can find all the funding contributions and the calculation in detail in our grant table:
Procedure
For participants
VET students/apprentices and apprenticeship graduates contact their teachers, vocational trainers or other contact persons (vocational schools, training providers, cantons, professional associations and other stakeholders in vocational education and training) and express their interest in a work placement.
For institutions
Traineeships abroad are funded by the Swiss Programme for Erasmus+. In addition to the Job Shadowing in VET programme for students, it also supports project work for VET students abroad as well as Job Shadowing, Teaching activities, Networking activities in VET and continuing education for VET staff abroad. We recommend that you bundle thematically related projects in one funding application.
Follow these steps to carry out your project:
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1. Finding a partner abroad
To carry out a traineeship abroad, you need a partner institution abroad. This institution accepts participants for an internship or sends them abroad:
- Find a partner institution abroad through your network and the school's network, by attending Movetia networking events or international conferences.
Traineeships abroad are generally possible worldwide, with a few exceptions. Make sure that the desired partner institution is located in an eligible programme country.
- Get more information on the topic find an exchange partner.
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2. optional Form consortium
If several Swiss institutions are pursuing the same goal, they can apply for funding for mobilities as a consortium. Find out whether a consortium project brings additional benefit to your project.
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3. optional Arrange a preparatory visit
Would you like to meet potential project partners on site to get to know each other or jointly develop a project? Get financial support for a preparatory visit.
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4. Planning the project
- You plan the stay of the VET students/apprentices and apprenticeship graduates with the foreign partner institution.
- Make sure that the project fulfils our award criteria
- You plan the participants' work placements abroad. To do this, you estimate the number of participants at your institution, how you will prepare and accompany the participants for the upcoming mobility and how you will consolidate the learning outcomes of the mobility.
- In the project application, you describe the planned activities and provide information on points such as
- Details of all partner institutions
- Brief project description with objectives and measures
- Overview of planned mobility activities
- Information on the preparation, on-site support and follow-up of the mobility activities.
- Plan for internal and external communication of the project results.
- Please refer to the current grant table for international mobility projects in vocational education and training for budget calculations and use our award criteria as a guide.
- Consider environmentally friendly means of transport in your planning.more on the topic Green Mobility
- It is important to us to also enable persons with disabilities or with physical, mental, or chronic diseases to participate. Therefore, we provide additional funding for persons with special needs, for which you can apply in the funding application. You may also submit a request for funding for special needs at a later stage during the project duration. You can find more information under Inclusion and equal opportunities.
- We are happy to provide you with individual counselling to clarify questions about planning, submission and implementation. The consultation can take place over the phone, online or on site.
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5. Submit funding application
- Submit the funding application online. Keep to the deadlines in March and October.
- Open the application as early as possible to familiarise yourself with the requirements. We open the application forms together with the call for projects, usually in December and June. You can save the application temporarily and continue working on it later. If you are submitting an application for the first time, you will need to register once.
- You only need one application for different mobilities. In the same funding application, you can also apply for funding for project work abroad for VET students/apprentices, as well as job shadowing, teaching assignments, networking and continuing education for VET staff abroad if the mobilities are thematically linked.
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6. Contract and payout
- We will review your application after the deadlines have expired.
- You will receive the notification at the end of May or the end of December.
- After a positive decision, we will send you a contract.
- The project starts on 1 June or 1 December. You can choose between a project duration of 12 or 24 months.
- We finance the project in 3 instalments. Within 30 days of receiving the signed contract, we will pay out the first instalment of funding (40%). Once you have utilised 70% of this amount, you can claim the next 40%. We will calculate the remaining amount for the last instalment after the final report has been submitted.
- Payments are made exclusively to vocational education and training institutions based in Switzerland.
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7. Prepare stays
- You select the participants and organise the internship, accommodation and, if necessary, the language course together with your partner institution. You involve the participants in the planning.
- Prepare the participants for their exchange experience by defining the framework conditions of the exchange activity as well as learning and work objectives. Use the mobility contract for this purpose; it is a mandatory document for the final report.
- Also prepare the participants in terms of content. For example, you can use a workshop on intercultural preparation.
- Make all the necessary organisational preparations regarding outward and return journeys, accommodation, insurance, visas, emergencies, etc. Use the help documents regarding insurance or holiday arrangements.
- You can use the notification of need for additional financial support for people with special needs to apply for additional funding if you have not already done so in the funding application.
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8. Carrying out internships abroad
- Carry out the internships abroad in accordance with the project application.
- After the start of the project, we organise a mandatory information event. You will receive all the information you need to successfully carry out and complete your project. It also gives you the opportunity to get to know your contacts at our company and other project managers .
- You are responsible for paying the VET students/apprentices the financial support for travel and accommodation. After the project has been implemented, you make sure that the objectives are carried out as defined in the funding application and evaluate the project that has been carried out:
- We conduct random monitoring meetings with the project leaders. At this meeting, you can clarify questions and receive feedback, tools and suggestions for further project implementation.
- Make sure that the exchange activities and the learning and work content acquired by the participants are visible to their employers in Switzerland. A certificate, confirmation of employment or a job reference are suitable for this purpose. Find out more about Recognition of competences.
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9. Submit final report
- At the end of the project period, you must submit a short final report to us within 60 days. You will need the so-called "mobility contracts" for all participants . Depending on the number of mobilities realised, we will pay out any remaining amounts or issue a reclaim.
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10. Spread the word
- Implement the planned communication measures. Be sure to mention the funding from Movetia. We provide the logo and text modules.
- Share the content widely via your institution's channels, e.g. newsletter, social media, blog, etc. In this way, you present your institution as innovative, open-minded and an attractive school/employer. You will also stimulate the exchange of expertise in vocational education and training.
- Contact us to increase your reach, e.g. by placing a magazine article on our website.
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11. Development of coordinating structures
Would you like to offer international work placements for VET students/apprentices from outside your institution? Movetia offers start-up funding for the establishment of coordination structures, such as cantonal exchange offices.
Q & A
How do I find partners abroad for internships abroad?
If you have heard of interesting players in your sector abroad, contact them spontaneously. Many internships abroad have already been made possible in this way. Otherwise, get in touch with Movetia.
Can VET students/apprentices or apprentices work in any country?
No, in many countries - especially outside Europe - a work permit is required. It is sometimes time-consuming or very difficult to obtain one. In the UK, for example, it is challenging. VET students/apprentices from Switzerland have to compete with workers from all over the world. Find out about the entry and labour regulations of the destination before carrying out an internship.
Do I also receive support for VET students/apprentices who want to come to Switzerland?
Yes, if you have applied for outgoings (from Switzerland to abroad) and incomings (from abroad to Switzerland) in your funding application. A reciprocal exchange is highly desirable. However, the number of incoming students must not exceed the number of outgoing students.
Will I receive money for my organisational efforts?
Yes, if your institution has concluded a funding agreement with Movetia, you will receive financial support for each internship you organise. See Funding amounts.
As a VET student/apprentice, will I receive money from Movetia for my Traineeship abroad?
No, individuals are not eligible to apply to Movetia. Only educational institutions receive funding amounts from Movetia. VET students/apprentices and apprenticeship graduates contact an educational institution to apply for a subsidised internship. The organising institution (project sponsor) then pays out the approved funding to you.