The following application is describing a project carried out by vocational students / trainees attending the BBS1 Aurich. It will be possible to extend this pilot project it turns out successful. The responsible institutions is the Bundelshandelsakademie und Bundeshandelsschule Steyr.Ten of our students will obtain the opportunity to do a three-week placement in companies based in Steyr in Austria. Thus they will be given the chance to train their personality and broaden their horizon but also to gain professional as well as intercultural experience.The target group is reflecting the majority of our students who are not able to profit from the current exchange projects. Furthermore a considerable number of them fear difficulties concerning foreign languages and would hesitate to go abroad on different conditions. Therefore, this project wants to motivate those students to look for this kind of new experience, which will certainly enrich their professional and private life. In the course of the organisation of the project the students have been prepared for their stay abroad. That involves contents preparing them for their working life in the chosen training company as well as methods for searching solutions in case of any problems.The main activity, the three-week stay in Austrian enterprises starts with an introductory phase with an accompanying person of the BBS1 and employees of the BHAK Steyr. The students / trainees will get an insight into a company of their industrial sector and will be supported by the BHAK Steyr. During their stay they will be accommodated at host families or similar groups.The placement itself will be done in the sector the trainees are working in and will focus on typical duties and responsibilities. Our professions are industrial clerk, bank clerk, wholesale and export clerk, office clerk, lawyer’s assistant, i.e. predominantly administrative jobs. Therefore, the trainees will be in charge of smaller projects, advise customers and will have to do filing and working on the data base of the firm. So, they will get the chance to broaden their mind and to try getting along in a new working world and a strange country and get to know a new culture.During and after their stay the trainees will have to share their experience. Apart from regular lessons, where the newly obtained know-how will play a major role after the project, there will be presentations at festivals and events such as “Open Day” or “Day of Nations” at our school. Thus the outcome of the placement abroad will be useful in many ways and will, of course, be evaluated at the same time.Many local enterprises are either working internationally or keen on making international business contacts, which means they will appreciate the additional qualification of their future employees and give them the chance to use their knowledge as a basis for their future career. Since East Frisia is not an economically strong region the new experience and qualifications will be an enormous advantage for the participants of our project.We are preparing our participants for their future career and encouraging them to face new situations. By doing this, we help them open their mind towards new and strange ways and cultures and thus become real “Europeans”. They will be more tolerant and help shape a uniting Europe.Finally we can say that the training companies are supporting this project by giving their trainees extra holidays or granting financial help.Our partner institution, the Bundeshandelsakademie und Bundeshandelsschule Steyr, have declared their will to support us by hosting our students, helping to organize accommodation and provision of meals, finding companies for the placements and taking care of the introductory phase.