Funding
Funding is probably foremost on people’s minds when it comes to organising a work placement abroad. It is needless to say that not everyone has access to private funding, and organising a trip abroad is by no means cheap. However, there are many programmes and schemes aimed at helping students finance an educational trip abroad. It is widely recognised that experience of living in a foreign country is not only highly useful to the student, but also to any future employer. Depending on your situation and country of origin, there are a number of different options available:
Socrates Program
The Socrates program is run by the European commission and aims to promote a better understanding of Europe. It offers grants to people looking to study, teach, undertake a placement or follow a course in another country. Socrates comprises 8 separate actions, one of those being the Erasmus grant.
For further information on the various actions of the Socrates program, visit their website at:
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/socrates_en.html
Erasmus Grant
The Erasmus grant is one of the most popular sources of funding for study exchanges abroad. As well as being available to students wishing to do a cultural exchange, or enrol in a University course abroad, it is also available to candidates wishing to apply for a European work placement. It is specifically aimed at University students, and you must be enrolled in a University to qualify.
To be eligible for an Erasmus grant, you must be:
- A national of a European Union Member Country or Member State of the European Economic Area.
- A national of Bulgaria, Romania, or Turkey
- Officially recognised by the UK as a refugee, stateless person or permanent resident.
The grant covers:
- Full time undergraduate and post graduate study exchanges
- A European work placement
- An international exchange
Candidates must be planning to stay in the country for a minimum of 3 months (which is convenient, as that is the minimum duration of an internship at Universpain!).
Most students apply for an Erasmus grant through their host university. For further information, please contact your University department or visit the website at
http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/erasmus20_en.html
Leonardo da Vinci programme
The Leonardo da Vinci programme focuses on the teaching and training needs of those involved in vocational education and training. It aims to establish and bolster the competitiveness of the European labour market by helping European citizens to acquire new skills, knowledge and qualifications and have them recognised across borders. It is aimed at providing funding to people wishing to gain work experience abroad in Europe, and is therefore ideal for people thinking of doing an internship at Universpain.
The Leonardo grant covers the cost of transport to and from the target country, food and accommodation.
For further information on the Leonardo grant and how to apply, visit the official website: www.leonardo.org.uk
On top of grants provided by the European Community, each country usually has it’s own funding system. For further options, please refer to your individual government programs.