Hochschule Karlsruhe – Technik und Wirtschaft

Why Q-PlaNet?

It is difficult to know and check internships in the host enterprise in all regions in the enlarged Europe from the home university of students. To overcome this disadvantage, the idea is to connect regional centres which build the bridge between host organisations, sending institutions and students, and which are assessing the quality placements by "labelling" host organisations. The aim is to improve the quality of placements. A European wide network of Quality Reference Centres realizes the concept of regional contact points for quality assurance of internships.

What we do as a Quality Reference Centre (QRC)

KOOR/BEST, the Baden-Württemberg Partnership for the exchange of students, graduates and knowledge transfer (Koordinierungsstelle für die Praktischen Studiensemester der Fachhochschulen in Baden-Württemberg), is an office located at the University of Applied Sciences in Karlsruhe, but acting as a regional office for the Ministry of Education of Baden-Württemberg. The office is an ERASMUS consortium for placements of students from Baden-Württemberg.

KOOR/BEST was one of the first Quality Reference Centres to be established. We check host organizations according to the Q-PlaNet quality standard and grant labels to those enterprises that fulfill the Q-PlaNet criteria. The names of the Q-PlaNet labelled enterprises are being published on this website.

The Q-PlaNet Quality Standard

Companies that received the Q-PlaNet Label fulfill the following 10 criteria:

 1. Quality commitment:

The organisation declares its commitment to ensuring the quality of the student placement. The management makes sure that the objectives that were set in order to ensure the allocation of appropriate student placement quality at all relevant levels and by all relevant functions have been met.

 2. Sufficient resources:

All the financial and infrastructural resources needed for the good progress of the student placement are available: for student remuneration, for the personnel that is involved in these activities, for an appropriate working place, for IT equipment (software / hardware) and for communication equipment (telephone / network / internet access).

3. Defined processes:

The host organisation is able to define all processes related to the placement: the preparation process for the student placement (methods used in order to determine the number of students and the period of time required for the student placement; determining / describing the jobs), the recruiting process (establishing selection criteria for students; description of interview methods) and the methods used for evaluating the results of the placement.

4. Tutor:

At least one person from its staff will be appointed to be a student’s tutor. This is to advise, help and guide the students throughout their stay to ensure their integration. The tutor is competent in the context of the study field and with appropriate qualification in the tasks the student will have and for tutoring.

5. Communication towards university/ sending institution:

The host organisation takes care of communication between the placement supervisor (tutor) and the university/the student’s sending institution (mentor).

6. Person in charge of quality assurance:

A person will be named who is in charge of placement quality assurance assisting the student in legal formalities and company safety regulations. During the student placement period the person in charge will record all non-conformities that occur. At the end of the placement period, the person in charge of placement quality assurance will coordinate the evaluation of the student placement and will assist the student when performing all the formalities required at the end of the placement period.


7. Access to information:

Students have access to clear and reliable sources of information about placement conditions, general information about the organisation, application, rights and obligations, benefits for all partners involved and examples of good practice.


8. Learning Plan:

Before every placement a learning plan will be signed by the host organisation describing training purposes, expected outcomes, means of achieving them, evaluation. Project oriented tasks will be guaranteed.


9. Placement contract/agreement:

Before every placement a contract or agreement will be signed by the host organisation where all responsibilities are fixed following the model of a working contract (tasks, name, vacation, insurance questions etc.). The agreement is signed by 3 parties: student, host organisation, sending institution.


10. Logistical support:

The host organization tries to provide logistical support for the student. This could include providing information and assistance concerning travel arrangements, insurance, the possibility of government grants and loans, residence or work permits, social security and any other practical aspects.

Deutsche Version

Was ist Q-PlaNet?

Q-PlaNet, das Quality Placements Network, ist ein Netzwerk von Hochschuleinrichtungen (sogenannten QRCs), die auf regionaler Ebene eine Qualitätsüberprüfung von Praktika durchführen. Unternehmen, die mit dem Q-PlaNet-Label ausgezeichnet wurden, garantieren qualitätvolle Praktika zu fairen Bedingungen.

Was wir als Quality Reference Centre tun:

KOOR/BEST an der Hochschule Karlsruhe überprüft Unternehmen in der Region nach dem europaweit einheitlichen Q-PlaNet Qualitätsstandard und veröffentlichen eine Liste jener Praktikumsanbieter, die mit einem Q-PlaNet-Label ausgezeichnet wurden.

Folgende Unternehmen wurden bereits von KOOR/BEST mit einem Q-PlaNet Label ausgezeichnet:

• CAS Software AG, Karlsruhe

• Endress&Hausser GmbH, Maulburg

• Virtual 7 GmbH, Karlsruhe

• ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen

Qualitätsgeprüfte Praktika im Ausland:

Wer ein qualitätsgeprüftes Praktikum im europäischen Ausland sucht, kann sich auf der Seite www.q-planet .org über die bestehenden Einrichtungen informieren, die in ihrem jeweiligen Land Unternehmen prüfen und auflisten.