The exchange- and support programmes launched by German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) enable young vocational entrants during or after their vocational education or university studies, to gain practical vocational experience by means of a practical training in an institution or enterprise abroad. Thus participants will have the chance to get an insight into foreign working environments and cultures from a first hand perspective. The programmes address themselves to different target groups (websites in German):

programmes for trainees

programmes for students

programmes for graduates

programmes for employed persons

For a survey of the programme offer organised by world regions please consult the internet portal Worldwide Learning (in German) released by GIZ:

Africa

Asian/Pacific area

Europe

Latin America

North America

The brochure Weiterbildung ohne Grenzen (in German) published annually includes about 170 programmes for continued vocational education offered by 70 organizations.

With their programme "weltwärts mit der GIZ" (in German) GIZ affords the possibility to young people to work in one partner country. With this programm young people can learn from each other and with eachother.

The programme is specific for people of the age 18 until 23. It affords intercultural, technical and individual experiences in the area of development assistance.

"weltwärts"-service can be passed in the following countries:

Asia: Jordan, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Philippine, Tajikistan, Thailand, Vietnam

Latin America: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru

East and South Africa: Ethopia, Botsuana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mosambik, Namibia, Sambia, South Africa, Uganda

West and Central Africa: Benin, Kamerun, Ghana, Ruanda, Togo

ASA addresses itself to 21 to 30 year-old students and vocational entrants with a special interest in development policy and development cooperation issues. The programme schedule combines seminars with a three month working stay in Africa, Asia, Latin America or Southeast Europe. Students of all subjects as well as employed persons without academic degree are qualified for application (website in English, French, and Spanish).

Praxisphase im Ausland ('Practical Training Abroad') addresses itself to students of the German academies of cooperative education (BA) and the Dual Academy of the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg (DHBW). Students with medium- and small-sized enterprises as co-instructors in the field of practical vocational training are enabled to do a vocational practical training at an enterprise abroad in order to acquire further intercultural competences for the globalised working market. Duration of support: 8 weeks to 6 months.

Praxiserfahrung weltweit ('Practical Experience worldwide') addresses itself to students and bachelor graduates of the economic sciences and applied technologies at advanced technical colleges in Germany. By doing a practical vocational training abroad scholarship holders will acquire vocational and intercultural competences and improve their skills in foreign languages. The programme also serves as a preparatory practical training for the work in an interdependent globalised economy.

The Sequa GmbH, a non-profit development corporation of the most important German trade organisations (DIHK, ZDH, BDA and BDI), awards mobility-grants for practical vocational training in European countries to trainees of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or the German Chamber of Crafts (ZDH):

SINDBAD enables trainees of all professional directions to gain a first-hand insight into the industrial and business environment of a selected European host country (including Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Turkey) during a 3 to 12 week practical vocational training,

TRANSDUAL addresses itself to trainees of commercial vocations and supports study visits for practical and theoretical vocational training to London, Paris or Madrid with a duration of 3, 12, 15 or 24 weeks. Participants will get the opportunity, to get insight into the British, French or Spanish industrial and business environment and to improve their foreign language skills.

The CrossCulture-Programme of the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) addresses itself to young participants from the Islamic world and Germany. It provides young employees, vocational entrants and persons engaged in voluntary work for non-governmental organizations and the media the opportunity to develop their professional and international capacities.

The Exchange Program for Young German and French Journalists launched by the Robert Bosch Foundation addresses itself likewise to young journalists in their vocational training and entrants of the journalist's profession. Participants are offered the possibility to do a 2 to 3 week journalistic practical training at a news' media editorial staff in their neighbour's country.

The German-Israeli Future Forum Foundation supports contact and cooperation between youth and young adults in all areas of German-Israeli relations, in particular between specialists and professionals who could in the future assume responsibility for maintaining and developing bilateral relations.

The German-Japanese Exchange Programme for Young Employees seeks to give young employees and trainees aged between 18 and 30 years the opportunity to visit the other country.