Today we say goodbye to Sara González, for almost 3 months she has carreid out internships for her degree with us, within her interships she has developed actions within the Coordinadora’s european program and before leaving she wanted to share some of the options that she discovered for young people.
Thank you Sara for your energy, we hope you find it useful.
“In recent years we have been able to see how the European Union has increased its involvement with young people, offering a wide variety of options to promote cultural exchanges, the study of new languages or the opportunity to travel and get to know new countries in a more profitable and less traditional way.
There are different programs that promote European mobility for young people, we wanted to share during the European Youths Week different actions in which you can participate. For this we have divided it into four groups: studies, internships, employment an dvolunteering, so you can see the one that best suits your situation and/or needs or consult all of them, who knows what the next adventure may hold..
STUDY
More and more students are choosing to continue their studies outside their home country. These are some of the most common options in the European Union.
- The Erasmus + programme is one of the most known and used.
The European Union aims to support the education and training of young people through this programme, which is aimed at universities, organisations, education centres, private companies, etc.
The participating countries are the EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and Macedonia.
The duration of an Erasmus is limited, with a minimum duration of 3 months and a maximum of 1 year.
The amount of financial aid that the Erasmus grant offers depends on the country of destination, but it is usually between 300 and 400 euros per month.
- Another option for those who want to learn or perfect a language is to take a language course. We all know that the best way to learn a language is to travel and put it into practice, and there are many companies that organise this type of trip, both in summer and during the rest of the academic year.
- Exchanges are a very easy, fun and common way of getting to know new countries, people and, of course, practising other languages.
This type of programme is not subject to a time limit as it can be very diverse, just as there is no specific age range.
EXTERNAL INTERNSHIPS
Linked to the field of studies are internships. This is a period in which students must work on a temporary basis with the aim of obtaining work training.
Most EU institutions organise internships for young university graduates lasting 3 to 5 months.
- Erasmus+ traineeships: This Erasmus programme allows university students to do their traineeships in European countries. The duration is a minimum of two months and a maximum of twelve months. Depending on the country of destination, other types of grants are available.
- EU Grants:
– AVENIR Grants: For those who wish to do an internship in France.
– Argo Global Grants: for students from Spanish universities.
– FARO Global Grants: For internships in companies in Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada.
– MAEC – AECID Grants: to study and carry out internships in countries receiving official development aid.
– Eurodysse Programme: Young people between 18 and 30 years of age in EU member countries.
These are some of the many scholarship possibilities offered by the EU.
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering is a type of work in which people participate in a supportive and unpaid way in order to improve the quality of life of other people and improve aspects in social, cultural, environmental, educational, etc. areas.
- European volunteering: these volunteering actions are funded by the European Commission through the European Solidartiy Corps, it offers the opportunity to young people between 18 and 30 years of age to carry out a volunteer project in oune of the program countries (mainly European countries), financing travel, accommodation, living expenses and pocket money, thile the volunteer participates actively in the host entity, supporting and contributing according to their knowledge and previous personal experience.
- Workcamp: This type of volunteering is characterised by being international. The main advantages are in terms of cultural variety as the group of volunteers come from different countries who work and live together for a period of time. Usually the participants are adults, but there are also organisations with groups of teenagers from the age of 15. The duration is usually between 2 and 3 weeks which makes it a great alternative for the summer months.
- NGO’s: These are non-governmental, non-profit organisations whose main purpose is social welfare. This type of volunteering can be a great option to travel, meet new people, act on your values and feel useful, as well as improve a language or learn a new one.
- WWOOF (World wide opportunities on organic farms): This is one of the lesser known volunteering opportunities, where volunteers work alongside farmers in order to achieve a more ecological and sustainable agriculture, it is undoubtedly one of the best alternatives for those who want to enjoy nature. You must be of legal age to take part in this programme and the duration of the programme is undetermined.
EMPLOYMENT
As a last option, you can choose to look for a job in member countries of the European Union in order to broaden your horizon of possibilities and enjoy the experience of getting to know new cultures.
- EURES: This is a European portal for professional mobility, designed with the aim of facilitating cultural exchanges between workers from different EU member countries.
- EURODESK: Through this European Youth Portal, we can also receive information about the possibilities available at European level. We will find offers for voluntary services, temporary or summer jobs, employment in EU member countries, etc. Therefore, this platform will be a great ally for those who wish to expand their range of possibilities in the European Union.”
Sara González. 21/05/2021