The municipal vocational school I of Regensburg sent 40 mechatronics trainees in three 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 were 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 was open to mechatronics trainees in their second year of apprenticeship. Part of the application papers were the Europass Language Passport and the Europass CV. The nominees were prepared for their stay abroad on four afternoons and a Saturday. 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 were introduced to their supervisors in the companies and to their internship companies within the first few days. By the way, the students were shown how to use the public transportation system. Furthermore, a guided city tour was organized. Then, there was a five-day internship in a company (technical design / construction, food production, filling machinery). The acquired knowledge was rounded off by attending a college for five days. At the end of their stay, participants gave short presentations in English (topics: sightseeing, attending college and internships) in front of their English supervisors and other interested people. Students were accompanied by a teacher on their return journey. Effects and benefits: Participants have better job prospects, the vocational school was able to improve its cooperation with its partner companies, involved German companies improved their ties among each other and benefit from well-educated skilled employees, English companies got insight into the German training system and got points of contact with other local and German companies.