German Handcraft Sector Expands Youth Training with Erasmus+ Internships and Erfurt Expo

The Handwerkskammer Mannheim Rhein‑Neckar‑Odenwald announced the EU‑funded Go. for. europe project, providing four‑week Erasmus+ apprenticeships for craft trainees. Placements are scheduled for autumn 2026 in Turku (Finland, 16 Aug–12 Sep), Tralee and Carlow (Ireland, 27 Sep–24 Oct and 25 Oct–21 Nov), Vienna (Austria, 27 Sep–24 Oct) and Valencia (Spain, 1–28 Nov). Application deadlines are 31 May 2026 for the Finland group and 28 Jun 2026 for the others. The program subsidises travel and living costs (trainee contribution €100‑300) and includes language and culture courses except in Austria; accommodation ranges from host families to self‑catering shared flats. It targets apprentices who have completed at least two years of training.

In Erfurt, the third “Handwerk zum Anfassen” fair was organised by the city’s economic promotion office together with the Handwerkskammer Erfurt. Around 2,000 pupils from 51 classes visited 27 regional craft firms, gaining hands‑on experience in trades such as painting, cooking, metalwork, garden care and technical services. Mayor Andreas Horn and HWK chief Thomas Malcherek opened the event, stressing the role of early vocational exposure in securing skilled labour for the future.