Why
not internationalise your CV with a structured work placement anywhere in
Europe? You can do this during any summer you are enrolled or for up to one year after completing your course at
St Mary’s. Many students participating in traineeships are eligible to receive
a stipend to support living costs through the Erasmus+ programme.
If you
are interested in this option, you are responsible for finding and confirming
your placement. You can find opportunities online or stop by Career Services for some pointers. You can also sign up for our
mailing list and we'll send through opportunities as we receive them.
Eligibility
Traineeships are open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students in all degrees. You may participate in a traineeship during any summer during your studies or during the 12 months after you graduate. Please contact the International Department for more details.
In order to receive funding, your traineeship must last a minimum of 2 months and maximum of 12 months. Traineeships undertaken before you graduate must be related to your degree. You will need to fill in and submit the proper paperwork to certify your participation in the Erasmus+ programme before, during and after your placement.
In order to be eligible for funding, you must apply to participate in a traineeship by 1 March. You do not need to have a traineeship arranged when you apply, but we do need to know that you are interested. You must confirm your traineeship and complete all necessary paperwork at least 4 weeks before beginning your traineeship.
What kind of work can I do?
Whether you plan to work for a private company, volunteer or do research abroad, your placement should help you learn new skills to develop your academic and professional prospects. Erasmus+ Traineeship placements can be part-time or full-time. You should also be supervised by at least one mentor, to ensure that you receive appropriate training and regular feedback throughout your placement.
You may work in any field in any European country, as long as it is related to your degree. Recent St Mary's graduates have worked as Teaching Assistants at international schools and Interns at multinational corporations.
If you're a student in Education, Teaching or Physical Education, Sport and Youth Development, you may work as Teaching Assistants at SEK International School in Spain during the year after you complete your course. Information about the various opportunities are below.
Sports
Rehabilitation students can participate in a structured traineeship with
University of Comillas in Spain during the summer before Year 3. Speak with Elaine Mullally for more details.
Erasmus+ funding is not available for traineeships in the
UK, even if you are a non-UK student.
Eligible Activities
- Work placements
- Volunteering
- Internships
- Supervised research
- Training and work combined
- Working at a public or private organisation
- Any kind of valuable work experience, relevant to your
degree or career project
Ineligible Activities
- Some EU institutions and other EU bodies - visit the
European Union website for a list of institutions and bodies
- Conferences and
symposiums
- Summer schools or training courses in attendance only
- Unsupervised projects
- Jobs with no proven gain of academic/professional skills
- Conflict of interest (i.e., if you work for an organisation
that you co-own or co-created, or is run by your relatives)
- Working remotely (i.e., not being physically based in host
country)
Money
matters
You
will need to cover your own accommodation, meals and travel during your
traineeship. You will want to start thinking about how you’ll fund your
time abroad as early as possible.
Erasmus+
grant
Students participating in approved traineeships are eligible
to receive an Erasmus+ grant to help cover your living costs during your
traineeship. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds may be eligible for
additional funding. The grant is intended as a contribution to offset your
living costs but will not cover your entire cost of living. You may receive
this grant even if you receive a stipend or in-kind contribution from your host
organisation.
The grant is paid pro rata based on a monthly amount, and
exact amount of the grant depends on the destination and duration of your
mobility. The grant is calculated in Euros but paid into your UK bank account
in pounds, using a fixed exchange rate set by the EC.
The 2021/22 monthly grant amount for our partner countries
is listed below.
EUR 520 per month - Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden
EUR 470 per month - Austria, Belgium, Germany, France,
Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Netherlands, Malta, Portugal Bulgaria, Croatia,
Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Republic of North
Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey
A supplementary grant of EUR 20 per month (EUR 0.66 per day) is available for students from lower-income backgrounds who are undertaking an Erasmus+ traineeship, in addition to the regular Erasmus+ grant. Eligibility for the supplementary grant depends primarily on your fee status and average income for your home country. Please contact the Study Abroad team for more details.
How to receive an Erasmus+ grant
In order to receive an Erasmus+ grant, you will need to
provide some additional paperwork to the Study Abroad team before, during and
after your mobility. Your total grant entitlement will be shown on your
Erasmus+ grant contract.
You will receive 70 per cent of your grant entitlement at
the beginning of your mobility, after you have arrived in your host country and
provided the following documentation:
- Erasmus grant agreement
- Learning Agreement signed by your work supervisor
- Arrival certificate signed by your work supervisor
You will receive the final instalment of your grant after
you complete your mobility and submit the following documentation:
- Proof of attendance
- Post-mobility survey from the European Commission
- Post-mobility feedback form from St Mary’s University
Interrupting your placement or coming home early
You must let the St Mary's Study Abroad team know if you change your placement dates, cancel or shorten your
Erasmus+ placement. In this case, your Erasmus+ grant will be recalculated accordingly.
You may have to repay part of the funding you've already received, based
on your placement duration. If your placement is shorter than the minimum duration (2
months for traineeships, 3 months for study placements), you will lose your
eligibility for Erasmus+ funding and you might be required to repay the
totality of the grant you've already received.
Brexit
St Mary's has received an extension of its current Erasmus grant and will continue to accept Erasmus+ applications for mobilities that will end before 31 May 2023.
The UK’s will no longer participate in the Erasmus+ Programme after the current cycle. The UK National Agency will continue to manage and deliver the Programme across the UK until the end of the extended grant cycle in 2023.
UK students wishing to work or study in EU countries must comply with the immigration, healthcare and insurance requirements of their host country. You can find the most up-to-date information about the impacts of Brexit on the Erasmus programme here.
How to
apply
1) Research
options. Decide which summer you would like to work abroad.
2)
Fill in St Mary’s application by 1 March to let us know you're interested. If you are interested after this date, please contact nina.langlie@stmarys.ac.uk to discuss your options.
3)
Research options and apply for traineeships.
4) Confirm your placement details with the Study Abroad team and provide all necessary paperwork at least one month before
starting your traineeship.
5)
Make sure you have accommodation, make travel plans and prepare for your work
experience!
6) After your mobility, submit your Confirmation of Attendance and fill out the required St Mary's and EU surveys to receive the final instalment of your grant.