Overseas work experience as a career boost
nass magnet trials the Erasmus+ development programme
Overseas work experience looks good on any CV. Our apprentice Selina Schuster, who worked in the Sales department at this time, recognised this as an opportunity. So at the end of 2019, she spent several weeks discovering what it is like to work in Britain. This exciting chance for personal and professional development was made possible thanks to nass magnet and the EU‘s Erasmus+ programme.
Experience Europe with Erasmus+
Erasmus+ is the European Union‘s programme for education, training, youth and sport. Since 2014, it has incorporated the current EU programmes for lifelong learning, youth and sport, as well as the European collaboration programmes in the further and higher education sectors. Erasmus+ offers young apprentices (as well as others) the opportunity to undertake work experience abroad to complement their actual study and training programme.
The aim of the project is to promote cultural exchange and enhance professional skills on all sides. This Europe-wide collaboration allows participants to learn and share best practice and drives innovation.
Application and process
In principle, any apprentice within the EU can apply for this work experience as long as the company for which they are working can accommodate this. In our case, Selina Schuster found out about this project through her college. It quickly became clear to nass magnet that this was an initiative we were interested in supporting.
To meet the minimum requirements for the overseas stay, candidates must possess basic proficiency in the relevant language (level B1) – in this instance, English. Selina Schuster further had to demonstrate her language skills by submitting an English-language application and participating in a telephone interview. Her performance left no doubt regarding her ability to complete the commercial work placement.
She stayed with a host family for the duration of her work experience. This meant that she very quickly became acquainted with the country and its people, and allowed her to experience the culture up close.
Opportunities for apprentices and companies
We see this project as an exciting opportunity for our apprentices. It is a chance to bring young people‘s education up to an appropriate, internationally recognised standard. The idea of allowing other apprentices to benefit from overseas work experience has been met with widespread approval.
Christoph Böhm
Sales, authorized officer,
nass magnet GmbH
