Crafting Futures Canada: International Internships for Journeypersons

Gain international work experience, discover new techniques and experience the skilled trades in Germany.

What can you learn from working in your trade in another country?

With Crafting Futures, recently qualified skilled tradespeople from Alberta have the opportunity to develop their professional skills in German host businesses, gain international work experience and build valuable connections for their future.

The program brings together skilled tradespeople and businesses from Alberta, Canada, and Baden-Württemberg, Germany, through a three-month internship and an exchange of professional knowledge, working methods and experiences.

Discover Your Trade in Germany

Germany has a strong tradition of vocational education and training, a highly developed skilled trades sector and a reputation for engineering and manufacturing excellence.

Through a three-month internship in Baden-Württemberg, you will experience a different professional environment, learn from local tradespeople and discover new approaches to your trade.

Be part of the first exchange in 2027 and help shape what comes next.

Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg

Stuttgart is the capital of Baden-Württemberg and one of Germany’s major centres for industry, engineering and manufacturing. The region has a strong skilled trades sector and a long tradition of vocational education and training. Participants will experience this professional environment through their three-month internship and the wider Crafting Futures Program.

Work experience abroad — from application to the workplace

01 — Apply

Submit your application between October 1 and November 30, 2026.

02 — Commit

If selected, confirm your participation and availability for the full three-month exchange.

03 — Prepare

We’ll help you prepare for your stay, including travel, accommodation, immigration guidance, insurance, language and intercultural preparation.

04 — The right match

You do not need to find a host business yourself. The Crafting Futures team works with you to identify a suitable match based on your trade, qualification, experience, interests and goals.

05 — Travel and connect

Travel to Stuttgart with your cohort and take part in group, networking and cultural activities.

06 — Work and learn

Complete your three-month internship alongside skilled tradespeople in Baden-Württemberg.

07 — Stay connected

Join the Crafting Futures network and help future participants learn from your experience.

Ready to take your skills to Germany? 

Applicants must:

• Be 18–35 years old
• Be a Canadian citizen
• Hold a Journeyperson Certificate or equivalent skilled trades qualification
• Have at least one year of professional experience in their skilled trade
• Be available for the full three-month internship in Stuttgart
• Be willing and able to participate in the group mobility program and group activities

Your Contribution

Program funding helps cover the costs of your exchange. Your contribution towards living expenses approx. CAD $1,500–1,700 (total).

Benefits for Edmonton skilled trades businesses

Skilled trades businesses in Edmonton and the surrounding region can welcome a qualified skilled trades intern from Stuttgart for three months.

Hosting an intern provides an opportunity to:

• Exchange practical knowledge and expertise

• Bring new perspectives and working methods into the workplace

• Connect with skilled tradespeople from Germany

• Build international professional relationships

• Contribute to the development of a new transatlantic skilled trades exchange program

We match participants and businesses. Finding the right fit is an important part of the program. Participants and host businesses are matched based on factors such as trade, professional experience, skills, interests, workplace environment and availability.

Want to host a skilled tradesperson from Germany?

Interested in bringing international experience into your workplace? Get in touch with ECCIR to express your interest in becoming a Crafting Futures host business.

Information & Application

How to Apply

Are you a skilled tradesperson in Alberta looking to gain international experience, develop new skills and discover how your trade is practised in Germany?

Apply for the first Crafting Futures exchange to Germany in 2027! Prepare your application documents and follow the instructions below to apply.

1. Applicant Information

Please include the following information in your application email:

• First name, Last name
• City of residence
• Email address
• Date of birth
• Skilled trade
• Current occupation
• Canadian passport: Do you hold a valid Canadian passport?
• Availability: Are you available for the exchange period from July to October 2027?
• German language skills: Do you speak German? If yes, please indicate your level.
• How did you hear about Crafting Futures? (e.g. employer, training institution, union, social media or other)

2. Required Application Documents

Please attach the following documents to your application email:

• CV / Résumé: A comprehensive CV outlining your professional experience, skills and qualifications.
• Proof of Qualification: A copy of your Journeyperson Certificate or equivalent skilled trades qualification.
• Motivation Statement (minimum 200 words)

Tell us why you would like to participate in Crafting Futures and what you hope to gain from the exchange. Please describe your wishes and expectations for the internship, the areas of work or specific skills and techniques you would like to explore, and what you hope to learn from working with a host business in Germany. You may also explain how the experience could contribute to your professional development and how you would share your knowledge and experience after returning to Canada.

3. How to Submit Your Application

Please email your application information and all supporting documents (PDF) to:

info@eccir.ca

Application deadline: November 30, 2026

Please ensure that your application is complete before submitting it.

4. What Happens Next?

Applications will be reviewed and ranked based on the following criteria:

• Professional background and qualifications: Relevance of the applicant’s trade, qualifications and professional experience to the objectives of Crafting Futures.
• Availability of a suitable host business: The availability of a suitable host business in Germany that matches the applicant’s trade, interests and learning objectives.
• Trade representation and placement opportunities: Opportunities to represent different trades and secure suitable placements within the exchange cohort.
• Group compatibility and cohort composition: The potential for a successful group exchange, taking into account the overall composition of the cohort and opportunities for participants to learn from one another.
• Motivation and commitment: The applicant’s motivation, clearly defined learning goals and willingness to participate fully in the internship and related program activities.

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview or additional information. Selected participants will receive further details about preparation, travel arrangements and participation requirements.

Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee selection. Participation is subject to the selection process and the availability of a suitable host business.

Questions?

If you have questions about the application process or the Crafting Futures program, please contact ECCIR at info@eccir.ca.

Privacy and Use of Personal Information

The personal information you provide in your application, including information contained in your supporting documents, will be collected by the European-Canadian Centre for Innovation & Research (ECCIR) for the purposes of administering the Crafting Futures program, assessing applications, selecting participants, arranging program support and matching selected participants with suitable host businesses in Germany. Where necessary for these purposes, your information may be shared with Handwerk International Baden-Württemberg, relevant program partners and potential host businesses in Germany to assess placement suitability and coordinate the internship. Information will only be shared to the extent necessary for these purposes. ECCIR will handle your personal information in accordance with applicable privacy legislation and take reasonable measures to protect it against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, copying or loss.

Consent to the Use of Personal Information

By submitting your application by email, you acknowledge that you have read this privacy notice and understand how your personal information may be collected, used and shared for the purposes described above, including with potential host businesses in Germany. If you have questions about the handling of your personal information, please contact ECCIR at info@eccir.ca.

Crafting Futures is a pilot program. The first cohort will help test and refine a new model for skilled trades mobility between Alberta and Baden-Württemberg. Participant and business feedback will help shape the program and future exchanges between the two regions.

Be part of the first cohort and help shape what comes next.

Who is behind Crafting Futures?

Crafting Futures – Transatlantic Pilot Project for Skilled Trades Mobility, Canada & Germany (2026–2029) is a joint initiative connecting the skilled trades sectors of Alberta and Baden-Württemberg.

European-Canadian Centre for Innovation & Research (ECCIR)
ECCIR strengthens innovation, research and business collaboration between Canada and Europe. Through strategic partnerships, funding support and mobility programs, ECCIR helps organizations innovate, grow and build meaningful international connections. For Crafting Futures, ECCIR leads the Canadian side of the project.

Handwerk International Baden-Württemberg
Handwerk International Baden-Württemberg supports skilled trades businesses in their international activities and connects the skilled trades sector with international partners. For Crafting Futures, Handwerk International leads the German side of the project.

The project is supported by the Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE)