The municipal vocational school I of Regensburg sends mechatronics trainees in two detachments to a three-week practical placement to Manchester, UK. The occupational image of a mechatronics engineer is characterized by machine maintenance and assembly operation. Assignments abroad are part of the job description. Therefore, it is necessary to practice and participate in technical and everyday conversations.Main goals are the improvement of the ability to communicate in a professional and in a private environment, and broadening the cultural understanding for England and the region around Manchester in particular. Application is open to mechatronics trainees in their second year of apprenticeship. Part of the application papers are the Europass Language Passport and the Europass CV.The nominees are prepared for their stay abroad on five afternoons. Topics of the preparation: everyday language and officialese - improving the expression - organisational matters and picking the company - question time with former participants of the Leonardo project - creating an English CV with the Europass Database.After arriving with their teachers, trainees will be introduced to their supervisors in the companies and to their internship companies within the first few days. Furthermore, a guided city tour is organized. They are also shown how to use the public transportation system. Then, there is a five-day internship in a company (technical design / construction, food production, filling machinery).The acquired knowledge will be rounded off by attending a college for five days. At the end of their stay, participants will create English presentations in groups about their three-week stay (topics: sightseeing, attending college and internships). They are asked to give a short-presentation in English in front of their English supervisors and other interested people. Students will be accompanied by their teachers on their return journey.Effects and benefits: Participants will have better job prospects, the vocational school is able to improve its cooperation with its partner companies, involved German companies will improve their ties among each other and benefit from well-educated skilled employees, English companies get insight into the German training system and get points of contact with other local and German companies. The public is periodically informed about the project by articles printed in the local / regional press.Furthermore some teachers will be send to Guildford College nearby London for three days to do Job-Shadowing and practical placements.