A Portuguese international internship programme is giving young people invaluable training – and a life experience they'll never forget.

INOV Contacto works with people under 30 who are qualified to "higher education" level and matches them with foreign businesses.

The initiative is implemented by AICEP, the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade, and co-funded by PO ISE, the Operational Programme of Social Inclusion and Employment.

Filipe Claro recently interned at a company in Maputo, Mozambique.

"I heard about INOV Contacto and since I always wanted to have an international experience, I decided to apply," he says. "The integration was extremely easy; they gave me training in Portugal before travelling to Maputo which made me more comfortable when I stepped onto African soil.