Why this is usually the job of a local host partner, not the school itself.
Finding a company in another country willing to host a foreign vocational student, vet whether the role is genuinely suitable, and coordinate logistics — all without being physically present — is difficult for most schools to do well on their own. This is the main reason VET mobility to a specific destination almost always runs through a local host organisation rather than the school approaching companies directly.
Established host organisations maintain relationships with companies across multiple sectors, built up over repeated projects — a tourism agency that's hosted several cohorts of students, an IT company with a workplace tutor who's done this before. That existing network is what allows a host partner to confirm realistic placements quickly, rather than cold-approaching companies for every new group.
A hospitality placement, one of the sectors matched to students.
DNA Europe places students across ten professional areas in Lisbon — including IT, tourism, hospitality, gastronomy, business, logistics, education, engineering, veterinary and health care — matching each student to a host company based on their field of study. See the best VET internship fields in Lisbon for what's typically available.
The matching process, one student at a time.
Read more → Portugal & LisbonWhich sectors have the strongest placement availability in Lisbon.
Read more → Portugal & LisbonThe kind of host companies students are typically placed with.
Read more →DNA Europe is a Lisbon-based host organisation for Erasmus+ KA1 VET mobility, coordinating placements, accommodation and documentation for partner schools.
