Erasmus+ Traineeships

How long can students go abroad?

Students may go abroad from 2 to 12 months. The same student may receive grants for studying or being trained abroad totalling up to 12 months maximum per cycle of study.

What are the conditions?

Students must be registered in a higher education institution and enrolled in studies leading to a recognised degree or other recognised tertiary level qualification (up to and including the level of doctorate). Erasmus students are selected by their sending higher education institution in a fair and transparent way.

Objectives of Traineeships?

• To help students to adapt to the requirements of the EU-wide labour market;
• To enable students to develop specific skills including language skills and to improve understanding of the economic and social culture of the country concerned in the context of acquiring work experience;
• To promote cooperation between higher education institutions and enterprises;
• To contribute to the development of a pool of well-qualified, open-minded and internationally experienced young people as future professionals.

Where do traineeships take place?

Receiving organisations for traineeships can be any public or private organisations active in the labour market.

What arrangements are made?

Prior to the departure the Erasmus+ student is provided with:

• A grant agreement covering the mobility period and signed between the student and his or her sending higher education institution;
• A “Learning Agreement” regarding the specific programme for the traineeship, approved by the student, the sending institution and the enterprise;
• The “Erasmus+ Student Charter” setting out the student’s rights and obligations with respect to his/her period of training/work experience abroad.

At the end of the period abroad:

• For a traineeship which is an integral part of the curriculum, the sending institution must give full academic recognition for the period spent abroad, by using ECTS credits or an equivalent system. Recognition shall be based on the Learning Agreement approved by all parties before the period of mobility starts;
• In the particular case of a traineeship that is not part of the curriculum of the student, the sending institution shall provide recognition at least by recording this period in the Diploma Supplement or, in the case of recent graduates, by providing a traineeship certificate.

Will financial support be provided or fees charged?

Students may be awarded an Erasmus+ EU grant to help cover the travel and subsistence costs incurred in connection with their traineeship abroad.

The payment of any national grant or loan to outgoing students should be maintained during the traineeship abroad.

How to apply?

Interested students should apply to the international office and/or Erasmus+ office of their sending higher education institution. The office will provide information on the possibilities of a traineeship abroad as well as the modalities to apply for and receive an Erasmus+ EU grant.

Source: http://ec.europa.eu/education/opportunities/higher-education/traineeships_en.htm

REQUIREMENT FOR THE ERASMUS+ TRAINEESHIP INVITATION/ACCEPTANCE LETTER

It is important to obtain an invitation letter from an institution/company located in one of the countries within the frame of Erasmus+, in order to ensure that your Erasmus+ Traineeship Mobility application is taken into the evaluation and that you can perform your traineeship without any problems in case you get entitled to participate in Erasmus+ Traineeship Mobility.

It is our students’ responsibility to find an institution for a traineeship abroad and obtain a traineeship invitation letter from that institution.

About the Format and Content of the Invitation Letter:

1) Your invitation letter must be printed on the headed paper (with logo, contact details on it) of the company /institution that you contacted for performing your traineeship.

2) You must obtain an invitation letter which is signed by an authorized person (with name-surname specified) at the institution and which has the seal/stamp of the institution on it.

3) Your invitation letter must indicate on it:

a) your name-surname

b) department

c) the dates (specifying day-month-year) you will perform your traineeship at the related institution (Erasmus+ traineeship cannot be shorter than a period of 2 months)

d) that you will be performing traineeship in the related institution within the context of “Erasmus+ Traineeship Mobility"

e) the tasks you are supposed to carry out in the related institution and (if applicable) the name of the department where you will perform your traineeship.

Important Notes:

1) It must be understood from the content of your invitation letter, that the traineeship to be performed will provide you vocational experience related to your study field and include vocational practice. Activities like research, thesis study cannot be performed within the frame of Erasmus+ Traineeship Mobility.

2) Within the frame of Erasmus+, it is not possible to perform traineeship in consulates and EU institutions.

3) You can submit to Erasmus Office, a readable copy of your invitation letter (in English) e-mailed to you by the institution where you will perform your traineeship.