Traineeships are a great way for people starting their career to gain valuable experience working in their chosen field. The EU offers a host of traineeships open to all European citizens over the age of 18 with a third level qualification. Have a look below at some of the main ones.

*For all official European Union positions knowledge of two official EU languages is always required.

Blue Book Traineeships:

The Blue Book traineeships are offered for five month periods, twice a year. These are paid internships undertaken at EU Directorates, Institutions and Agencies. For more information on this, listen to Episode one of the Brussels Insider Podcast or visit: https://ec.europa.eu/stages/home_en 

Schuman Traineeships:

Schuman traineeships are paid, five month internships undertaken at the European Parliament. They give people the opportunity to play a role at the nerve centre of European decision making. These traineeships open for applications in June and November each year. For more information on the application process visit: https://ep-stages.gestmax.eu/website/application-informations 

Traineeships with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs):

To submit an application to do a traineeship with an MEP you should contact the MEP directly. These traineeships range from anywhere between five weeks and six months and are paid. MEPs themselves have the final say in who undertakes a traineeship with them and will be responsible for assigning you a variety of tasks to complete during your traineeship. Visit https://www.europarl.europa.eu/at-your-service/en/work-with-us/traineeships to see more about the application process and https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/full-list/a to see a full list of MEPs currently in the European Parliament. 

EU Agency Traineeships:

The European Personnel Selection Office has a comprehensive list of EU Agencies currently offering traineeships. They provide all details on pay, intake dates, and the location where you will be based. You can take your pic of any traineeship depending on your interests, or what you’ve studied, all the way from Aviation to Cybersecurity. Visit https://epso.europa.eu/job-opportunities/traineeships_en and take your pick.