Every year twelve to fourteen apprentices of Rübekamp Vocational School have the opportunity to take part in the Norway exchange programme. They are in their second year of apprenticeship in the following professions: -Brewer/maltster -Chef -Waiter/waitress -Hotel management trainee -Professional caterer -Food Technology specialist Project background Especially employees in the hotel and catering sector but also in the food production sector are expected to have working experiences in foreign countries to improve their career opportunities. The internationalisation of markets and production increase the necessity to get informed about customer expectations and quality standards in other countries. Due to the fact that not every company can provide adequate international experiences for their trainees, the IBL has aimed to offer that opportunity for many year. The project encourages apprentices to work abroard after having completed their apprenticeship to gain further international work experiences. Project aims The analysis of current customer expectations in the catering and food production industry and new trends and developments in the food production and catering sector. Furthermore participants gain intercultural experiences in work and social contexts during their stay in Norway. Realisation Each year in spring time the paricipants from Norway and Germany visit each other for a duration of three weeks. The exchange periods are structured as following: 1. week Visit of Strinda vocational school in Trondheim, guided tour around the school's classrooms for practical lessons, participation in practical lessons at Strinda and information about the work placements in the Trondheim companies. Guided city tour around Trondheim, excursion to a food producing company (e.g. salmon farm), introduction of the work placement companies in Trondheim and start of the work placements. 2. week work placements and cultural activities (e.g. museum visits) 3. week work placements and project evaluation at Strinda vocation school Due to practical experiences the apprentices gain knowledge of recent food and beverage trends and customer expectations in the partner country. They gain further competences in the production/preparation and presentation of new food and beverage styles. They discuss differences in customer expectations in both countries. Furthermore inhibitions to speak are minimized and the participants widen their communikation skills in a foreign language (English/Norwegian). Additionally they improve their soft skills by living in a different cultural context. Working with apprentices from different professions within the food production sector the participants benefit from expanded knowledge of the industry they work in. Teacher's exchange It is planned that up to six teachers from Ruebekamp Vocational School take part in this project. Project background Our institution wants to react to the increasing demand of our partner industries to stress the internationalisation of the vocational education in Germany. Furthermore, we aim to match the trend of creating a standardised and comparable apprenticeship scheme within the European Union. Project aims Besides the above mentiond aims the following aims shall be reached: - Exchange with the partner organisation about the curriculum, principles of teaching, methodology of vocational education - a Cooperation with Trondheim University, department of vocational teacher's training Realisation - visitation of the partner school - internship as observer - participation in teaching - company visits (food industries) Results and outcome The participants improve their: - professional teaching skills, e.g. dealing with students with special needs - guidance competences in the field of "Working, learning and living abroad" - language skills - social skills/competences