INFORMATIVE PACKAGE FOR EU4EU DEPARTING TRAINEES

Dear students, 

Congratulations on winning the EU4EU Scholarship – Erasmus + Scholarship for Traineeship! 

 

A unique and precious experience awaits you, which will surely be unforgettable. There is little time left for your departure and we are sure that, together with the joy, there is also some uncertainty and some doubts. In this short guide we want to provide you with some simple advice to better enjoy the experience that awaits you. 

 

Let’s begin! 

Soon I will leave for my destination. What should I do right now?

Pre-departure Preparations: Language Proficiency Test

 

Before the internship begins, the candidate must complete the OLS language test on the EU Academy website.

The Erasmus+ program offers Online Language Support (OLS), an online platform that allows students with Erasmus+ status and scholarship to assess and improve their language skills. With the new OLS, you can choose one or more languages without restrictions on the number of courses to follow and test your language proficiency level during or after the mobility.

Completion of the online assessment prior to departure is highly recommended. 

 

Access Procedure

To take the test and attend language courses, you need to register on the EU Academy platform. Here’s how:

 

  1.  Create an EU Login account
  2.  Authenticate with your credentials.
  3. Log in to EU Academy.
  4. Enter “placement test” in the search bar
  5. Take the language test

 

 

I arrived at my destination and in a few days I will start working. What now?

Great, welcome!

 

You are ready to get started, but don’t forget two important rules of the EU4EU – Erasmus + Scholarship for Traineeship program:

 

  1. The Letter of Arrival: on the first day of the internship the intern must upload the “Letter of arrival” signed by the contact person / mentor of the Host Organization on the Portal. The payment of the first installment will be arranged by the National Coordinator at the beginning of the internship period, usually within 30 days of uploading the Letter of Arrival on the Portal, provided that the student has already signed the Grant Agreement.
  2. The Entry Survey: within 2 weeks from the start of the mobility, trainees will be able to fill in the Entry Survey to report any initial difficulties regarding the work environment, the relationship with the tutor, the level of satisfaction of the assigned tasks, accommodation and safety conditions and allow EuGen to intervene in support of the student.
How do I find an accommodation?

Finding a room is one of the first concerns when you plan to live abroad for some months. It may be challenging, but with a little patience there are good chances that you will find your room. Here are some tips on the matter:

  1. EU4EU Housing Network: It is a map highlighting European cities where former EU4EU interns have had positive housing experiences and shared landlord details with us. Use the map to identify cities where quality housing was recommended and contact us to get contact details of landlords in the city where they will be doing their EU4EU internship.

  2. Read the Accommodation Tips written especially for you by the EuGen team: https://eng.eu4eu.org/eu4eu-news/accommodation-tips/

  3. There are several Portals dedicated to finding accommodation in European countries. You can start your search here: https://www.goabroad.com/articles/study-abroad/best-student-accommodation-websites

  4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help to the Host Organization where you will carry out your internship. They might be able to suggest a trusted real estate agency or useful website/contacts.

  5. Look for the dedicated Facebook groups and the websites dedicated to Erasmus students.

  6. Watch out for frauds!

 

https://housinganywhere.com/avoid-online-scams

Insurance coverages: it doesn’t happen… but what if it happens?

Before leaving, make sure you have the European Health Insurance Card with you.

 

What is the European Health Insurance Card? 

 

A free card that gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country. The benefits covered include, for example, benefits provided in conjunction with chronic or existing illnesses as well as in conjunction with pregnancy and childbirth.

 

Cards are issued by your national health insurance provider.

 

Important – the European Health Insurance Card:

 

  • is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare.
  • does not cover your costs if you travel for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment.
  • does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different,  services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country.

 

All students participating in EU4EU projects must be covered by insurance for accidents and responsibility in the workplace. In some cases, they already have an insurance as they are regularly enrolled at university (this is the case in Italy, France and Portugal) in others they have to take out a compulsory private insurance.

 

 

I am happy with this experience, but I feel alone. What should I do?

Living abroad for a while is something special which, in addition to enriching the CV, is also useful for working on yourself, opening your mind, learning about ways of living that are different from your way, opening to the world. To familiarize yourself with the new place, it is important to take care of and develop our social relationships. But how to do it?

  1. Don’t lock yourself at home when you’re not working but get to know the area where you live. Talk to people, ask questions, make yourself known.
  2. Look for social networks that have groups dedicated to young people living in the same city as you and join the conversations.
  3. Try to learn the local language, even just a few more common expressions. It will be fun and will help you communicate with the people around you.
  4. Often in the city events of various kinds are organized: participate as often as you can and you will see that it will be easier to get in touch with other people who are probably experiencing the same emotions as you.
  5. Explore the European Youth Portal: the European Youth Portal provides information and opportunities at both European and national levels for young people living, studying, and working in Europe. It also encourages youth participation in democratic life in Europe, particularly through the EU Youth Dialogue and other initiatives aimed at involving young people in policy-making processes.

 

ESN- Erasmus Student Network: https://www.esn.org/

ESAA Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Alliance: https://www.esaa-eu.org/

The professional network of the Erasmus generation: https://garagerasmus.org/

The European Youth Portal: https://europa.eu/youth/EU_en.

 

LIVING ABROAD

The first work experiences are essential to understand if the path you have decided to take is the right one for you and also to evaluate all the possibilities that your working sector provides you. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your professional experience:

 

Talk to your tutor and your colleagues in general, ask questions, and participate in conversations. Ask your Host Organization to explain how the sector in which it operates works, what are the advantages of the job and what are the challenges that must be faced. Find out what qualifications are needed to specialize in your sector, if there are specific professional exams to pass, if some skills are considered more important than others by companies. Try to know if there are influential personalities to follow on-line in your sector, websites through which you can constantly update yourself, contacts of any kind that can be useful for your work.

Salto-Youth, learning resources for youth workers and youth leaders, training and networking activities to support the Erasmus+ Programme: https://www.salto-youth.net/

USEFUL LINKS

The National Agencies: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/national-agencies

Erasmus App: https://erasmusapp.eu/?phase=6

Erasmus+ Student Charter (European Commission): https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/european-student-card-initiative/ewp.

EU Embassies and consulates: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/embassies/index_en.htm