About
nrw:exchange
North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) wishes to strengthen the ties between people and companies in the UK and NRW. The region has therefore set up the programme “nrw:exchange” to support young apprentices from NRW to spend some time in the UK on an internship.
The Internship
The Intern will be with you for 2-4 weeks. They can travel on a regular visitor visa. The visitor visa for the UK (issued on entry) does not permit any professional activities. However, there are exceptions (permitted activities) - PA 10.2 is relevant for interns from Germany:
PA 10.2. Employees of an overseas company or organisation may receive training from a UK based company or organisation in work practices and techniques which are required for the Visitor’s employment overseas and not available in their home country.
The Grant
The grant covers travel cost, health insurance and living expenses in the UK as well as tuition fees if applicable.
The Intern
Young people (18+) who are doing an apprenticeship in skilled trades and crafts, industry or trade can apply for a scholarship. The internship usually takes place in the 2nd or 3rd (final) apprenticeship year or in the 12 months after they passed their apprenticeship exam. Our young professionals will thus have a thorough understanding of their occupation when they apply for an internship.
Your Role
You host a young trainee for up to 4 weeks and integrate them into your company processes or training programmes.
Background
North Rhine-
Westphalia and the United
Kingdom
North Rhine-Westphalia was founded by the British administration in 1946. It has maintained close relations with the United Kingdom since. In 2021, both countries celebrated 75 years of relations and friendly ties.
In February 2022, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the government of the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding on the formation of a political steering committee to further deepen joint cooperation.
Approximately 18,000 people from the UK live in North Rhine-Westphalia and 120,000 people are employed by around 1,800 British companies in North Rhine-Westphalia. The United Kingdom ranks ninth among North Rhine-Westphalia's trading partners. There are also close cultural exchanges with more than 130 town twinning arrangements and 222 school partnerships.