Traineeships in the European Parliament for young people around the globe 2021
This post is shared as an archival reference, describing the European Parliament’s traineeship programmes as they ran in 2021. These traineeships continue to run twice a year in a similar format, so if you’re interested in applying today, check the official European Parliament traineeship website for the current round’s exact dates and rules, since eligibility criteria and application procedures are reviewed and updated over time.
About the Programme
In 2021, the European Parliament offered young people around the world a genuine opportunity to gain hands on experience within one of the most important political institutions in the European Union. The Parliament ran two distinct types of traineeships that year, the Schuman Traineeships within its Secretariat, and separate traineeships offered directly by individual Members of the European Parliament.
These programmes were designed to contribute to young people’s European education and vocational training, while giving them genuine insight into how the European Parliament and the broader EU institutions actually function.
The Schuman Traineeships
The Schuman Traineeships were named after Robert Schuman, one of the key architects of the European integration project, credited with proposing the pooling of French and German coal and steel production that eventually grew into the European Union. These traineeships honoured his legacy by giving young people a structured, paid opportunity to work within the Parliament’s Secretariat.
Key details of the 2021 Schuman Traineeship cycle included:
- A fixed duration of five months
- Placements available at the European Parliament’s official work locations in Brussels, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg, or at its Liaison Offices across EU Member States
- A wide variety of thematic fields, including EU internal and external policies, finance, law, multilingualism, administration, infrastructure and logistics, communication, and IT
- Two application rounds per year, with the autumn 2021 round opening applications in June, closing on 30 June 2021, and running from October 2021 through February 2022
- Around 428 positions available in that particular round, with applicants permitted to apply for up to three positions at once
Trainees received a monthly grant to support their time in the programme, helping make the experience accessible to young people regardless of their financial background.
Traineeships with Members of the European Parliament
Alongside the Schuman Traineeships, individual Members of the European Parliament also had the ability to directly offer traineeships to young people. Key details of this pathway included:
- A flexible duration, ranging from six weeks to five consecutive months, decided by the Member of Parliament offering the placement
- The ability to start at any time during the year, rather than being tied to a fixed application cycle
- A monthly grant ranging between approximately EUR 822 and EUR 1,348 for a full time traineeship
- A requirement to apply directly to the specific Member of Parliament offering the traineeship, since spontaneous or general applications were not considered
This pathway offered a more personalised, flexible route into parliamentary work, depending on which Members of Parliament had positions available at any given time.
Who Could Apply
While specific requirements applied depending on which traineeship pathway an applicant chose, general eligibility for the Schuman Traineeships in 2021 typically required:
- Being a national of an EU Member State, with a very limited number of positions also open to nationals of other countries
- Holding a full university degree, or in a limited number of cases, a vocational education qualification obtained within the EU
- Not having previously worked or benefited from another traineeship within an EU institution, body, or agency for more than two months
- Strong knowledge of at least one official EU language, along with a good working knowledge of a second official EU language
Why This Opportunity Was Valuable
For young people accepted into either traineeship pathway, the experience offered several meaningful benefits:
- A rare, firsthand look into the workings of one of the world’s most significant political institutions
- The chance to build practical skills and professional experience across a wide range of fields relevant to EU policy and governance
- Financial support through a monthly grant, making the opportunity more accessible to young people from a range of financial backgrounds
- A genuinely unique credential for young people building careers in international policy, governance, or EU affairs
A Programme That Has Continued
While this post focuses specifically on 2021, it’s worth noting that the European Parliament’s Schuman Traineeship programme has continued running twice a year since then, with more recent cycles continuing to open applications in May and October each year. If a programme like this interests you today, it’s worth checking the official European Parliament traineeship website for the current cycle’s exact dates, eligibility rules, and application process, since these details are reviewed and updated periodically.
