International Work Placements: Developing Intercultural Skills?

The international mobility of young people is often seen as a mechanism through which to develop intercultural skills. This chapter looks at the encounter with difference among British graduates who had undertaken an international work placement. It highlights that these young people framed difference both in terms of culture and lifecourse. The chapter shows that forming friendships was a priority for young people to mitigate against feelings of liminality, which in turn facilitated encounters and opportunities to develop intercultural skills.