SAFRI – the Southern Africa Initiative of German Business – in association with Mercedes-Benz South Africa is offering students and young graduates from SADC countries a six-month internship with Daimler (the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles) and other leading companies in Germany under the Students Experience Programme (STEP). The programme runs from 1st March until 31st August 2013. Participants will be given the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and work skills in preparation for their future careers.

The  STEP internship involves the following:

• Before coming to Germany, STEP interns receive 80 hours of German language training. This language training is continued on a weekly basis in Germany during the internship.
• The STEP interns fly to Germany on 1st March 2013. Flights to and from Germany are paid for by the German host company.
• After an introductory week involving familiarization with their new environment, STEP participants begin their six-month internship in a German company.
• Each STEP intern is assigned a mentor at work who supervises their tasks and development.
• STEP interns work a full-time, five-day week and are entitled to 10 days holiday.
• STEP participants receive an intern’s salary which is sufficient to cover the cost of accommodation, health insurance, travel to work and other daily needs in Germany.
• Accommodation in Germany is organised by SAFRI.
• The internship is carried out in a business area which matches the qualifications of the intern.
• Additional business and IT training is provided and group excursions are organised by the SAFRI Office to familiarise STEP participants with the culture, country and people of Germany.

To apply for STEP you must satisfy the following conditions:

• Be a citizen of a SADC country.
• Be fluent in English.
• Have at least three years of university study in one of the following areas: Mechanical Engineering; IT; Marketing; Economics; Accounting; Business Management; Finance; and Logistics.
• Be not older than 26 years old as of 31st December 2012.
• Be keen to learn German.
• Be highly motivated and ready to deliver top-level performance.
• Be able to adapt quickly to a new environment and culture.
• Be interested in meeting people and learning about a new country and culture.
• Be proficient in MS Office (especially Excel & PowerPoint).
• Applicants must NOT have more than one year’s practical work experience.

If you meet the above criteria and would like to apply for an internship in Germany in 2013, you can send a covering letter, your CV, a copy of your latest results and a copy of your passport/ID by email to the STEP Project Manager, Mrs Joanne Dittrich (email: joanne.dittrich at daimler.com) by Tuesday, 31st July 2012 at the latest. Applications after this date will not be accepted and be advised that if you have not received a response by 15th September 2012, you must unfortunately regard your application as unsuccessful.

For further information on STEP, you can refer to the SAFRI website  and follow the links under “Students Experience Programme (STEP)” on the left sidebar.

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