Erasmus+ Internships
Erasmus+ participants include students, teachers, apprentices, volunteers, and youth leaders. Funds may be granted to the partnerships of educational institutions, youth organizations, enterprises, local and regional authorities and non-governmental organizations as well as toward reforms in the EU Member States aiming at modernisation of education and professional training, and support for innovation, business skills and employment.
Traineeship in foreign company or organization based in program or partner country
Conditions
- the student must be enrolled in an accredited study programme at MENDELU (Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral programme) for the entire duration of the stay
- the duration of the traineeship is a minimum of 2 months/maximum of 12 months
- the practical traineeship can be completed after graduation in the form of a so-called graduate traineeship
- the student has been selected in a duly announced selection procedure
- candidates for a graduate traineeship must have successfully passed the selection procedure before graduation, i.e. before passing the state final examination
- the student must be duly enrolled in studies at the faculty through which he/she is undertaking the internship for the entire duration of his/her placement (this condition does not apply to graduate traineeships)
- the student is a citizen of one of the programme countries or is a citizen of another country but is studying in the programme country in an accredited study programme
- the student must be working full-time in the foreign organisation (normal in the host country)
- the student cannot undertake a practical placement in the country of current residence (Country of Residence)
- the traineeship is not subject to an inter-institutional agreement, but must be agreed and confirmed in advance, as evidenced by a tripartite Traineeship Agreement (TA)
- the traineeship must be part of the study programme within which the student is going and must be approved by the faculty concerned and subsequently recognised by the student and entered in the Diploma Supplement
- the successful completion of the practical traineeship abroad is conditional on the successful completion and fulfilment of the activity plan approved by the TA
- the programme is not intended for students who have come to the Czech Republic to study under the Erasmus Mundus programme
- the sum of all Erasmus+ study stays and Erasmus+ practical traineeships at a given level of study must not exceed 12 months (including stays completed during the Erasmus LLP)
- although repeated Erasmus+ placements are possible, given the limited funding available for this activity, they may be assessed on the basis of the preferences announced in the selection procedure
- a full-time job (35 – 40 hours/week)
- EU member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
- EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway
- Candidate countries: Turkey, Northern Macedonia, Serbia
- Student becomes a graduate on the date of passing the state examination, from this date a time limit of one year runs, in which the traineeship must be started and completed (however, the current academic year in which the traineeship is administratively conducted must still be respected, the internship cannot extend into the next academic year).
- Graduate traineeships can last from 2 to 12 months, but the length of the Erasmus placement already completed (study and work) in the study cycle in which the student applies for the graduate traineeship is deducted.
- A candidate for a graduate traineeship must have successfully passed the selection procedure in the final year of his/her studies and have a registered graduate traineeship and an approved Travel Proposal in the UIS before graduation, i.e. before passing the state final exam.
Attention!!! The purpose of graduate internships is to enable the acquisition of practical experience, especially for those graduates who have not found employment on the labour market and do not continue their studies. Therefore, graduates must not be employed in the Czech Republic during the internship, otherwise their internship will be cancelled.
- the scholarship is intended to cover part of the costs (it is only a contribution to the increased costs associated with the stay abroad) – the student is expected to contribute financially
- the lump sum per month includes both the student’s living and travel costs
- the scholarship is paid on the basis of signing the Participant´s Agreement
- the scholarship is calculated to the exact number of days
- the scholarship is paid to the student in one payment
- the student receives the scholarship no later than on the first day of the start of the stay abroad
- the specific date of sending the scholarship depends on the date of signing the Participant´s Agreement
- the scholarship will be transferred to the student’s EURO account entered in the UIS
GROUP | DESTINATION COUNTRY | LUMP SUM SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT |
---|---|---|
GROUP 1 | Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden | 750 EUR/month |
GROUP 2 | Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Turkey | 630 EUR/month |
- Students with disabilities or special educational needs can apply to the National Agency through the IRO Rectorate for an increase in their grant
- Disabilities are defined as various types of hearing, visual or physical disabilities as well as, for example, illness requiring a special diet (e.g. gluten-free or lactose-free diet)
- the student must state in the application the reason for requesting the special grant and submit it to the Erasmus+ Traineeship Coordinator at IRO
- the application must be accompanied by a cost estimate, a medical report, a copy of the student’s disability card ZTP (if the student holds one) and documents relating to the Erasmus+ placement (the acceptance letter must be accompanied by evidence that the foreign university was aware of the student’s medical condition)
- the Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator will assess the reasonableness of the costs requested
- the application, including all attachments, must be submitted before signing the Participant´s Agreement
- upon return from the traineeship, an accounting is required (i.e. by submitting the relevant receipts/invoices to prove what specific expenses arising from the specific medical situation during the placement abroad were incurred and covered by the grant; unused funds must be returned)
- Students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds participating in an Erasmus+ traineeship can apply for an increase of EUR 250/month
- Student must apply for the increase before the start of the traineeship (it cannot be applied for during or after the mobility)
- It applies to students who are entitled to/receiving a social grant at their home HEI at the time of departure = entitled to child allowance and the decisive family income for child allowance is not higher than the product of the family’s minimum subsistence amount and a coefficient of 1.5
- written confirmation “Notification for the purpose of awarding the scholarship” will be issued by the Labour Office of the Czech Republic
- if the student is not a citizen of the Czech Republic and cannot obtain a certificate from the Labour Office of the Czech Republic, he/she must submit another relevant document; the document must include a translation of the certificate into the Czech language (does not apply to certificates in the Slovak language) and the document must be certified in the form of an apostille or superlegalization
- the student submits the application for the increase of the scholarship to the Erasmus+ Traineeship Coordinator at IRO
- the application is assessed by the Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator
How to apply
- Student can apply for the traineeship anytime during the academic year. First step is to find the suitable organization and agree with them on the terms of traineeship. Only after you will receive your Letter of Acceptance, you can fill in the application in UIS.
- The selection process includes submitting the application through the Contact Centre in UIS, including the acceptance letter and other required documents, and passing the language exam.
- find a suitable organization abroad,
- contact the international relations officer of your faculty and ask about the selection of the organization and other possibilities, conditions and dates of the selection procedure; for contacts see Faculty Coordinators
- meet the qualification prerequisites for a traineeship,
- carefully consider the selection of the organization abroad,
- file an application in UIS and upload other required documents including the acceptance letter
- the receiving organization may be any public or private organization operating on the labour market or in the area of education, professional training or youth (public or private enterprise, public entity on the local, regional or national level, professional association, business union, research institute, foundation, non-profit organization, institute or educational centre etc.)
- Unauthorised organizations, in which traineeships must not take place:
- – EU institutions and other EU bodies including specialised agencies,
- – organizations administering EU programmes (potential conflict of interests and/or double funding, e.g. national agencies). Students and recent graduates are not allowed to be involved in projects financed by other EU programmes during their traineeships.
- Please note! The dates of the traineeship stated in the application form and the acceptance letter are binding and change is possible only if the student submits the Traineeship Agreement with the new dates approved by all the three parties to the Erasmus+ Traineeship Coordinator at IRO before the original date of the traineeship beginning. If this condition is not met, the traineeship shall be cancelled and shall not take place.
- the participant to the selection procedure chooses and enters into the application the language in which he/she will take the exam on the basis of his/her choice of the main working language of the traineeship
- applicants who do not present themselves at the language exam shall be excluded from further procedure
- applicants who fail to obtain the required number of points and thus recommendation for a traineeship abroad shall be excluded, too
- after taking the language exam and obtaining points on the basis of other criteria, the applicants shall be ranked according to the total number of points, which shall serve as the criterion for provision of financial aid toward the traineeship
- students who have not carried out their obligatory traineeship yet will be given priority
CONTENT STRUCTURE | POINTS |
---|---|
Study results (average) | Maximum: 30 points |
Language skills | Maximum: 30 points |
Motivation and selection of the relevant organization in accordance with the field of study | Maximum: 30 points |
Participation in Buddy System and activity in ESN MENDELU | Maximum: 10 points |
Maximum for an application: | 100 points |
- the final results of the selection process will be published according to the schedule
- applications are primarily submitted in the period according to the schedule, however, it is possible to apply for a traineeship outside the selection period (at least 1 month before the planned departure)
- all students are informed about the selection process by collective e-mail
- the application is submitted via the Contact Centre in UIS
- after the language exam and approval of the traineeship by IRO, the application must be approved by the faculty
- it is not necessary to wait until the status of studies for a given semester is as complete as possible before submitting the application (the final score for the facts documented in the application will take place after the end of the selection process)
- a letter of acceptance from the receiving institution specifying the workload (assessed and approved by the faculty) and the exact dates of stay is a compulsory part of the application
- The language exam in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian consists of a written part (paper version) and a short oral test (level B2)
- all students who wish to go abroad under the Erasmus+ programme (language certificates and other exams are not recognised) must pass the language exam (except native speakers)
- for bachelor and master students, it consists of a written and an oral part – students apply for the examination dates through the Erasmus+ English course, where they must register specifically for both the written and oral parts
- for PhD students it consists of an interview only
- all information about the examination process and registration is given to students well in advance of the examination
- please come in time and bring an identification document (identity card or student’s record book) for the test. No aids except writing materials are permitted; the mobile phone shall be switched off and placed in the bag
- for the dates of the language examinations, see the schedule
- if a student has already taken the language exam in the past, he/she can have it recognised: IRO recognises the language exam 3 years in arrears
- the student must apply to the Erasmus+ Traineeship Coordinator for recognition
- WRITTEN TEST
- fill in the data in the heading and read instructions to test questions
- the written part consists of 40 partial tasks (each task is given 0.5 point) divided into several types of activities using various testing methods (answer selected from a menu, semi-open answer, created answer, transformation of information, matching, supplementing, completion of text etc.) on the intermediate language level
- vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and language functions, i.e. the use of language to accomplish a practical task
- in order to pass the test, you must give at least 24 correct answers of the total 40, and thus obtain 12 points
- time assigned: 45 minutes plus 5 minutes for handing out and check
- discarded materials are published here
- ORAL PART
- after taking the written test, students sign in to the oral exam with teachers of the Department of Languages and Cultural Studies through rosters in the classroom
- the oral part consists of a 7 – 10 minute’s interview per candidate
- in order to pass the exam, you must get at least 6 points out of 10
- ABSENCE
- in case you cannot participate in the written test on the set date (only serious reasons accepted) you must excuse yourself in writing (e-mail is sufficient) at kamila.hercova@mendelu.cz and the foreign relations officer of your faculty at the latest two days before the test
- a later apology shall be disregarded and the application shall be excluded
- please enter into the Subject line: “OMLUVENKA JT”, you will be scheduled for an alternative date
- Selection procedure results
- the results of the selection procedure shall be published by the faculty international relations officers in the method usual at the faculty concerned.
Before internship
- the traineeship abroad may only be implemented on the basis of a Traineeship Agreement (TA) executed by the three parties with all the details specified
- the TA must be executed before the departure for the traineeship
- by signing the TA, the person in charge confirms that he/she agrees with the traineeship plan of the student and that the content conforms to his/her study field
- the person in charge also confirms that the traineeship shall be recognized upon arrival and specifies the manner of recognition
- negotiation of the TA may take several months; therefore we recommend starting the process sufficiently in advance
- the student shall send the TA for confirmation to the receiving organization abroad
- the TA confirmed by all the parties shall be submitted by the student on the occasion of execution of the Participant´s Agreement
- serves for submitting documents for the traineeship
- the application can be accessed at the UIS Student Portal (after the student has registered the mobility into the UIS on the basis of the Traineeship Agreement)
- mandatory documents (i.e. those that have to be uploaded by all students into the application):
- before departure
- Traineeship Agreement (approved by the faculty), receipt of MENDELU insurance payment (approved by IRO), OLS initial test result (see below; approved by IRO)
- upon return
- Traineeship Certificate (approved by IRO), OLS final test result (approved by IRO), EU Survey (approved by IRO)
- before departure
- other documents are required only in case of extension of study period, changes in TA, etc.
- student uploads completed documents into the app (i.e. with all the signatures etc.)
- uploaded documents are automatically indicated as unapproved, until they are checked and approved by the person in charge
- all the Checklists documents must be approved by the person in charge (IRO Erasmus+ Traineeship Coordinator or faculty IRO officer)
- the student can work on the document until it is approved
- compulsory on-line language testing before and after the traineeship in Erasmus+ for all mobilities lasting two and more months
- the evaluation of language skills is provided for the main working language, not the language of the country
- the working language of the traineeship must be specified in the TA
- the language course is available in other languages than the working languages, the course is voluntary
- the OLS test is available here: https://academy.europa.eu/
- after passing the test, the student will receive a certificate to upload to the Checklist
- the final OLS test is no longer compulsory
- the student concludes the participation contract with the Erasmus+ Traineeship Coordinator at IRO at least 2 weeks before the planned departure
- the student must make an appointment in advance to sign the Participant´s Agreement
- before signing the Participant´s Agreement, the student uploads all mandatory documents to the Checklist
- the student must sign the Participant´s Agreement in person before departure abroad
- departure for mobility without a duly signed Participant´s Agreement and the required documents is not possible
- the student will recieve a scholarship on the basis of signing the Participant´s Agreement
- Students whose studies are subjected to tuition fees bring also a confirmationa that they have already paid the tuition fee for the next semester.
- students who participate in the study period within the Erasmus+ Programme and are citizens of EU/EEA countries involved in the programme are not obliged to apply for student visa
- a new regulation has applied in Turkey since July 2014, under which foreign students do not need student visa to arrive in the country; they apply for a permit to stay for the period of study at the foreign police upon arrival (info: Turkish Embassy in Prague, tel.: 224311402/403)
- in case the student is not a citizen of an EU/EEA country, he/she may be obliged to apply for visa also to other countries than just Turkey; accurate information can be obtained at embassies and consulates
During Internship
- in case there are changes to the originally approved Traineesh (in the content or the person of the coordinator), they must be approved in writing by the sending institution as well as by the receiving organization
- the trainee shall fill in the form Changes to Traineeship Agreement, have it confirmed by the representative of the receiving organization and shall send it by e-mail for approval to the international relations officer of his/her faculty, which upon approval by the faculty coordinator shall refer the document to IRO and by e-mail back to the trainee
- extension is possible only upon agreement with the sending institution and receiving organization
- the trainee shall not be entitled to a grant toward an extended period of the traineeship, funding for the extended duration of the traineeship is subject to IRO approval
- the trainee first has his/her Application for Extension confirmed by the host organisation where he/she is doing the traineeship
- then he/she shall send the confirmed application by e-mail to the international relations officer of the home faculty for approval
- if the faculty approves, the application shall be sent to the IRO and the student should be instructed to adjust the Travel Proposal
- in cooperation with the faculty, the trainee shall modify the Travel Proposal, pay additional travel insurance and have the receipt of payment delivered to the IRO
- IRO e-mail the scan of approved application to the trainee
- an amendment to the Participant´s Agreement is sent by email to the student to be signed and returned to IRO
- after the amendment is signed, the student receives the scholarship
- is possible after agreement between the student and the sending institution and is done by an amendment to the Participant´s Agreement and a proportional reduction of the scholarship
- if the student does not comply with the minimum length of stay, i.e. 2 months (60 days), he/she must return the full scholarship
After Internship
- to deliver the Traineeship Certificate to the IRO (ORIGINAL confirmed by the traineeship provider no earlier than a week before the termination) within 14 days of the end of the traineeship
- in case the duration of the traineeship differs from the duration stated in the Participant´s Agreement by more than 5 days, an Amendment to the Participant´s Agreement is concluded (kamila.hercova@mendelu.cz)
- upload all documents to Checklists within 30 days of the end of the traineeship
- to fill in the Final Report in the UIS and European database (EU Survey) within 30 calendar days of receiving the login
- to return the unused financial support, if:
- the student did not comply with the length of the traineeship stated in the Participant´s Agreement
- the student did not meet the terms of the Traineeship Agreement
- the student breached the Erasmus+ qualification conditions
- in accordance with the Directive on recognition of results of study and traineeships abroad within Erasmus+, the student is obliged to submit an application for recognition of traineeship results to the person who is in charge at the University
- this obligation has to be met within 7 days of the end of the traineeship
- the respective home faculties decide on recognition of credits and subjects
- please consult the international relations officer of your faculty and your Study Department on the recognition procedure
- If the student or a recent graduate fails to comply with the minimal duration of the traineeship, i.e. 2 months, he/she shall return the financial support in full
- if the student or a recent graduate fails to deliver the required documents by the deadline set by the sending institution, fails to take the compulsory on-line language test before and after the mobility and/or fails to fill in the Final Report (EU Survey), he/she shall return the financial support in full
- if the student shortens the duration of the traineeship by more than 5 days and the shortening does not result in the minimum duration of the traineeship, i.e. 2 months, the student must reimburse a proportional part of the allocated financial support depending on the length of the shortening