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Go abroad as an apprentice with Erasmus+
Getting started with the program is easy: The OeAD supports companies and apprentices directly and free of charge - join now.
Go abroad as an apprentice with Erasmus+
More and more apprentices are discovering the advantages of an internship abroad: The demand for Erasmus+ vocational training is fortunately increasing; in 2025, with 1,715 approved Erasmus+ stays for apprentices (participants from Austria abroad), a new high was reached since the beginning of 1995 - an increase of over 35 percent compared to the previous record year of 2024 with 1,254 approved stays abroad. Erasmus+ vocational training thus sets a strong example for future-oriented apprenticeship training.
Increase apprentice mobility
The OeAD (Agency for Education and Internationalization), together with the Federal Ministry of Education (BMB), is pursuing the goal of increasing apprentices' stays abroad to 2,000 per year by 2027. The “5-point plan to increase apprentice mobility” agreed in 2021 – together with the BMB, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism (BMWET) and the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO) - includes the use of higher Erasmus+ budgets, networking activities of relevant actors, target group-oriented communication, etc. "Our apprentices are talents with international potential. Erasmus+ opens up the world to them and at the same time strengthens Austria as a business location. By 2027, we want to accompany 2,000 apprentices every year on their way abroad," emphasizes Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr.
More attractive teaching
Are internships abroad a good way to make teaching more attractive? “Absolutely,” confirms OeAD managing director Jakob Calice. "Abroad, young people not only acquire technical skills, but above all also social skills such as independence, personal responsibility and intercultural understanding. These skills are in high demand on the job market!" Apprenticeship internships in international companies not only increase the attractiveness but also the quality of the dual training. For vocational schools and companies, the program represents a valuable expansion of their educational offerings and creates additional incentives for young people to decide on apprenticeship training - a strong motivation for entering an apprenticeship career.
A carpenter in Spain
Sebastian Zöttl, who completed an apprenticeship as a carpenter and did an internship in Spain, says: "It's great to get to know a country not as a tourist, but as an employee of a company! You get to know the country and its people in a completely different way. Exchanging ideas in another language is sometimes difficult, but it works with Google Translate." He is now attending the master school for carpentry technology and interior design at the HTBLVA Graz Ortweinschule.
Oliver Szücs is an apprentice freight forwarder at the Port of Vienna and will do an internship in Denmark at the Port of Aalborg this fall. "I'm really looking forward to my internship abroad. For me, it's a unique opportunity to get to know new ways of working and become more independent. I already know that I'll come back with a lot of new knowledge and contacts - I'll benefit from this personally, and my training company, Hafen Wien, will certainly benefit too."
Eva Brandt is currently training as a horticultural worker at the Salzburg Botanical Garden. She says about her internship in Italy: "I had a two-week internship in Italy and it benefited me enormously: I gained new experiences in plant care and returned with a lot of motivation. Of course, I am now benefiting from what I learned there."
Increase motivation & self-confidence
Participation also has a positive effect at company level: companies report more motivated and self-confident returnees. In the long term, they benefit from fresh know-how and an improved image as a modern training company. Erasmus+ thus supports companies in positioning themselves as attractive employers and proactively addressing the shortage of skilled workers.
How, where and when?
You can complete an internship abroad in a suitable company in all EU countries, as well as in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Serbia or Turkey. Since 2021, stays abroad with Erasmus+ have even been possible worldwide under certain conditions. Erasmus+ mobilities can be designed flexibly (10 to 365 days), individually supervised and recognized throughout Europe.
Getting started with the program is easy: The OeAD supports companies and apprentices directly and free of charge. Travel, accommodation and organizational costs are funded through Erasmus+. Flat-rate subsidies are offered for travel and accommodation costs - the funding rates for apprentices were increased by over 50 percent in June 2024.
Intermediary organizations in several federal states coordinate Erasmus+ projects approved by the OeAD. They support vocational schools and companies throughout Austria in organizing and implementing learning stays. They provide contacts, handle funding and support stays abroad for apprentices, teaching staff, specialists and trainers around the world. These mobility projects are financed by the OeAD from Erasmus+ funds.(red/oead)
