E+ Traineeships for young graduates
In case you missed an study exchange opportunity during your studies, there is still a chance to gain intercultural ànd professional experience within 12 months after graduation. Graduating students can apply for financial support from the Erasmus+ programme. Timely registration is key!
The following will get you started. Always check the further details, an overview of the terms and conditions and FAQs via Students on the Move.
For whom
Graduating students with a diploma contract: (prof). BA, MA, ManaMa, PhD). Graduates from joint-master degrees who studied physically at UGent in their graduation year can also apply for an E+ Traineeship grant via the Flanders Traineeship Platform. Exchange students need to turn to their home institution.
Work placement proposals to the country of your citizenship and/or country of origin (nationality / possible dual nationality) are only admissible with a well-founded motivation, unless:
- you can prove that you have been residing in a country other than the country of (dual) nationality for at least five years.
- you can prove that you grew up in a country other than the country of (dual) nationality.
Duration of the work placement
Minimum 2 months - maximum 12 months.
Per study cycle, students can be awarded a maximum of 12 months of financial support from the Erasmus+ programme. Consequently, any Erasmus+ grant months and/or Erasmus Mundus grant months already taken in the last study cycle will be deducted from these 12 months. This does not apply to exchanges with other sources of funding.
Are you going on an Erasmus exchange during your graduation year? Then register online for the E+ Traineeship grant only after your return, so that the exact duration of your Erasmus grant and possible internship period after graduation can be included in your application.
Through the Flanders Traineeship Platform, you can apply for a grant for up to 6 months to give as many graduates as possible the chance for a E+ Traineeship.
Grant amounts
Graduating students who belong to underrepresented groups (students receiving a scholarship from the Flemish Government, students with disabilities or working students) are entitled to apply for a higher scholarship amount* per month. Please feel free to contact us about this.
- €569 / €819*: Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, United Kingdom (note that visa application in the framework of traineeship is rather problematic), Sweden, Switzerland
- €519 / €769*: Andorra, Cyprus, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Vatican City
- €469 / €719*: Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Turkey
- A limited number of grants for internships in other countries not associated with the E+ program: fixed grant amount €700 / €950* plus travel allowance depending on travel distance.
Sustainable travel
A green travel surcharge of €50 is provided for sustainable travel (bus, boat, train) within Europe. For sustainable travel to some other countries, a green travel surcharge is provided, calculated based on the distance to destination. To cover the longer travel time, your grant can be extended by up to 4 days. See also Erasmusbytrain.
The E+ traineeship grant may be combined with (financial) support from the host organization, though it is not allowed to combine it with an employment contract during the traineeship period.
Deadline
- You can only apply for this grant if you have formally registered (= upload registration form) during your graduation year, up until the day before you receive your graduation results via OASIS, even if you don’t have a concrete work placement plan yet.
- ‘First come, first served’. Grants are awarded in order of (completed) application until the budget is exhausted.
- The grant period cannot start earlier than the date of signing the internship agreement by all parties. Allow at least three weeks of administrative processing time after uploading your traineeship agreement signed by you and the host company or host organisation.
How to apply?
The application procedure is simple and follows an online step-by-step plan.
- Before you receive your final results in OASIS, register online via the Flanders Traineeship Platform, the Flemish internship platform for international mobility after studies. This gives you access to your personal application file in Placement Online. Fill in the registration form and upload it; only then is your registration complete.
- Found a suitable work placement? Make sure to make clear arrangements with your host company regarding learning objectives, tasks, supervision (by whom and how), work schedule, etc., so that mutual expectations are met. E+ Traineeships are generally full-time (cf. regular employees at the host organisation).
When E+ training agreement is completed it is subject to a quality check by your home institution, which may or may not give the green light for the grant.
Language Test
You have to take an online language test at the beginning and end of the work placement if the working language is Danish, German, English, French, Greek, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech, or Swedish (as long as the working language is not your mother tongue).
The test results do not affect the grant. If necessary, you must take an online language course during your internship.
Insurance
Check with the host organization whether a work place insurance policy is taken out by the host organisation or not, according to local rules. Graduates are no longer covered by the insurance policy of Ghent University. E+ Trainees are offered an insurance by the Flanders Traineeship Platform.
Travel advice
Travel may be subject to restrictions due to (sometimes unpredictable) safety situations. See also Ghent University's travel policy.
Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs provides travel information per country. Check this carefully before choosing a destination and before departure. Check also travel advice from your own country if you are not a Belgian national.
Visa
Do you need a visa for a traineeship outside the EU? A visa application may take 6 weeks or even more. Therefore, start your grant application well in advance. More information about visa applications and entry requirements can be found on the website of the Embassy/Consulate of the country or region where you will be doing your traineeship.
Avoid incurring expenses until you receive final approval for the E+ Traineeship grant. If you do not receive the grant, already incurred expenses will not be reimbursed.
Which work placements are eligible?
Work placements in all public and private organisations active in the labour market or in the fields of diplomacy, education, training and youth work, are eligible.
Work placements in EU institutions and organisations managing European programmes, e.g. Erasmus+ National Agencies, are not eligible.
More information on the terms and conditions and FAQ
Ghent University contact: BuitenlandNaStudies@UGent.be
Flanders Traineeship Platform contact: info@flanderstraineeshipplatform.be