In addition to deepening what has been learned in the practical area (kitchen and service), the internship abroad is an important learning field for the acquisition of social and personal competencies, so-called soft skills, which can only be taught to a limited extent at school. Participation in the mobility project requires a considerable amount of initiative and personal responsibility on the part of the students. The time abroad also promotes awareness of a common Europe without borders and is also aimed at promoting the willingness for future stays abroad among the participants as part of their further educational and professional path. The promotion of foreign language skills is also an essential goal of the project, especially with regard to the preparation for the final exams, which are due for the participants about 1 1/2 years after participation.
For the sending institution (HLW Marienberg), the implementation of the mobilities is an important part of the vocational training. The possibility of doing an internship abroad is an important criterion for many young people when choosing a secondary school after the 8th year of compulsory schooling. An internship abroad is an important competitive advantage for vocational schools, especially when it comes to competition with general schools (AHS). The sending institution has been carrying out mobility projects of the European Union since 2007 and these mobility projects are now institutionalized in the school organization and are an integral part of training.