Work placements for apprentices
IFA organises work placements for Austrian apprentices in Europe lasting for several weeks. The placements can be done at fixed dates and are organised for groups of four to ten apprentices. During the first week the apprentices are accompanied by an IFA representative.
The placements are announced in Austria twice a year, in spring and in autumn. Individually organised placements as well as placements organised by companies can also be financially supported.
Who can participate?
Apprentices of 16 years and above who are ideally in the second year of their apprenticeship can apply at IFA and ask for a financial allowance. Within the Lifelong Learning / Leonardo da Vinci programme grants can only be awarded once. Another work placement can be done as skilled worker after graduation.
Which types of grants are there?
Within the European Lifelong Learning / Leonardo da Vinci programme funding is provided for travel, subsistence and assurance costs incurred by the foreign work placement. The placement must cover a minimum period of two weeks and take place in one of the countries participating in the programme.
Apprentices receive a weekly allowance that is dependent on the country and that is awarded as a lump sum. Language courses attended for the purpose of the work placement can also be subsidised. In most of the cases the funding does not cover the total expenses incurred by the placement. For a three- to five-week placement own funds of around EUR 100 to EUR 550 can be expected. IFA does not organise paid work placements.
Apprentices who
- do a work placement in a country that does not participate in the European Lifelong Learning / Leonardo da Vinci programme (e.g. Croatia, Canada etc.),
- have already received funding from Leonardo da Vinci,
- do not receive Leonardo funding for various reasons,
can apply at IFA for financial support from the Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth.
It is a prerequisite for all types of grants mentioned that a vocationally-specific work placement is done abroad – IFA does not support the attendance of language courses only.
Interested in a foreign work placement?
The following application documents are required:
- Application / motivation letter (German and English)
- Curriculum Vitae (German and English)
- Short description of the training company and the tasks (German and English)
- Copy of a valid ID
- Copy of the last certificate
- Additional certificates (of language courses, competitions, etc.)
- Letter of agreement of the training company
- Letter of agreement of a parent/legal guardian of people under 18
Apprentices in their third or last apprenticeship year and apprentices with sound vocational and linguistic competences are given priority.