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Most diplomatic missions (embassies etc.) have business sections and sections for education and training. They sometimes provide company addresses or at least the addresses of relevant business associations in the target country. In some cases, they also have publicly accessible libraries where you can consult company directories and magazines of the target country. Some embassies also have their own scholarship programmes. The foreign representations in the Federal Republic of Germany can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.

Unfortunately, there are only a few non-commercial organisations that arrange internships. Students who are looking for practical training in East Asia can look for a suitable position at KOPRA(https://www.kopra.org/). For students of natural sciences and engineering, the two programmes RISE(https://www.daad.de/rise/de/rise-weltweit/) and IAESTE come into question, for students in the fields of management, IT, social affairs or in the field of education, the student organisation AIESEC. For RISE and IAESTE, the AAA of the FH Aachen is the right contact, while those interested in AIESEC should contact AIESEC-Aachen.

For commercial organisations, the DAAD offers quality criteria for commercial internship placement agencies.

The Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK) are also a good recommendation, as one of their tasks is to provide information about their member companies. All IHKs in Germany are united in the umbrella organisation DIHT (Deutscher Industrie- und Handelstag). On the one hand, you can commission a company selection from the IHK in your own place of residence, e.g. according to the criteria of branches or business contacts in the target country. These lists are usually subject to a fee but are not prohibitively expensive.

Chambers of Commerce Abroad(AHK) are IHKs that are jointly run by Germany (DIHT) and the respective partner country. Most AHKs publish member directories from which you can find the addresses of German companies in the respective country. But local members who are interested in business relations with Germany are also listed there. In addition, many AHKs also offer to arrange internships, often for a small fee, which is usually only payable in the event of success. Many AHKs publish member magazines, some of which also contain job advertisements. You could place an advertisement here. Sometimes you can also get information on which German companies are planning to become involved in the target country and then get in touch with these companies. Many of these AHKs also have branches in Germany (e.g. the German-Indian Chamber of Commerce in Düsseldorf).

You can also contact the Chambers of Industry and Commerce in the country and place of destination. The addresses of the national Chambers of Industry and Commerce or the respective umbrella organisation can usually be obtained from the economic departments of the embassy of the destination country or from the branches of the foreign Chambers of Industry and Commerce in Germany. If you have the opportunity of a preliminary visit to the target country, you can use the in-house Library, if available, to consult company directories and target country newspapers. Some chambers even offer a Danenbank query, sometimes free of charge.

In the vocational guidance centres(BIZ) of many local employment agencies there are so-called "Europe corners" with a wealth of information on education, work placements, the world of work, institutions/counselling services and vocational and educational institutions in the countries of the EU, the EEA and associated states. They are grouped in blue information folders, so-called Europe folders. They have a uniform thematic structure and are up to 150 pages long. They also contain a dictionary or index with translations and explanations of fixed terms or abbreviations. In the introductory brief overviews, comparisons are made with the German situation. There is also the brochure "Europe is coming - let's go there", which gives a detailed overview of studies and practical training in Europe on approx. 200 pages and contains, for example, addresses of national employment offices and practical training agencies.

Each of the 24 EBZ European Vocational Guidance Centres nationwide is assigned to a partner country of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) and cooperates with one or more guidance centres there. The Aachen Employment Agency, for example, specialises in Belgium. Foreign-language information materials are also offered in the BIZs of the offices that function as EBZs - as is also the case in larger BIZs and those close to the border. With some neighbouring countries, a regular exchange of print and partly also electronic media has been agreed in cooperation and in agreement with the regional employment offices and the ECCs, which are used via the EURO PC.

However, the EBZs do not provide job or internship placement services. Those interested in job vacancies in individual EU/EEA countries can contact the employment agency of their local employment office or get an overview directly via sis - the job information service of the employment office (under "Economic Area" and "Abroad") or via the EURES job database (see below). You could use the company addresses you find for your further search.

Jobs and practical trainings abroad are arranged through the Section for International Placement of the Central Placement Office(ZAV), which has also published various information materials on this subject, e.g. the brochure "Praktika im Ausland" (Practical trainings abroad), which is available at the AAA. Students who have found a job or internship place themselves can possibly be supported by the ZAV or its partner offices in applying for a work permit in some countries. This is especially true for the USA and Canada as well as for countries with which a guest worker exchange has been agreed.

The European employment services are organised in the European Employment Services (EURES) of the employment agencies. The EURES network aims to facilitate the mobility of workers in European countries. Partners in the network include public employment services, trade unions and employers' organisations. More than 500 EURES advisers in the European area provide information and advice on, among other things, living and working conditions in Europe and help employers recruit workers. The EURES network of advisers has two databases at its disposal: one with job vacancies in Europe and one with general information on living and working conditions in each country. EURES thus offers anyone wishing to take up employment in another country, or at least thinking about this possibility, the opportunity to obtain up-to-date information in their home country beforehand.

German business development organisations pursue the goal of making it easier for German products and companies to find their way abroad. You can get in touch with business development organisations via the DIHT, the IHKs or the "Oeckl" (pocket guide to public life). There you can find out where there is such an organisation that promotes German involvement in the target country. Member directories are also often published, so you may be able to get in touch with suitable companies directly. You can also get some information about the existing engagement in the target country (e.g. branches, joint ventures, etc.).

Here in Germany there is still largely the monopoly of the employment agency. However, in many countries, especially the Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland and the USA, there is a well-functioning market of private job agencies. Addresses should be available from the above-mentioned agencies or in the newspapers of the target country. You can also look in the FAZ for addresses of recruitment consultants who have offices in the target country. It is important to know that personnel consultants and recruitment agencies are usually hired and paid by the companies. If you are asked to pay a fee, this would be unusual, to say the least.

Often, associations for the promotion of relations between Germany and the respective destination country can also help. These associations are often founded and supported by emigrants, former expatriates or people interested in the country. Many publish their own newsletters in which you can advertise or get tips. Sometimes they also pass on addresses of corresponding organisations in the destination country, or you could ask them which newspapers have good job advertisements or whether there are German- or European-language newspapers. Names and addresses of such associations and organisations are summarised in the "Oeckl" (Taschenbuch des öffentlichen Lebens), for example. The "Oeckl" should be available in every public Library or University Library.