Lifelong Learning Programme – criteria of eligibility and deadlines before, during and after a traineeship

Are you currently looking for a placement abroad or would you like to submit a request for a grant for your traineeship? We will be glad to support you. In order to do so, you have to fulfil the criteria of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme and be mindful of our deadlines:

1. Application for a placement
2. Request for a grant
3. Deadlines during the placement
4. Deadlines at the end of the placement

For students and graduates of the German and Rhaeto-Romanic speaking parts of Switzerland who would like to complete a traineeship in abroad:

• You are currently studying at a Swiss German or Rhaeto-Romanic school of higher education (university, ETH Zurich, university of applied sciences, pedagogical university or higher vocational education, i.e. any institution on the level tertiary A and B) or you have graduated from one of these institutions in the past twelve months (date of effect is the beginning of the placement).
• You are interested in completing a traineeship between three to twelve months in one of the participating countries of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme (for graduates the minimum duration of a traineeship is two months). Please note that it is not possible to undertake a traineeship in the country of your own nationality (including double nationality).
• Students and graduates of the higher educational institutions of the cantons of Freiburg and Wallis are not supported by StudEx, but by our partner office Swiss Occidental Leonardo SOL in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.
• Students and graduates of Swiss German institutions of higher education who originally come from the canton of Ticino are supported by Lingue e Stage all’Estero LSE.
• It is possible to complete one traineeship per study cycle (Bachelor, Master, PhD). Students may therefore complete up to three traineeships. Furthermore, as a Bachelor, Master and a PhD graduate you may undertake another traineeship, meaning that over the course of your studies a maximum of six traineeships can be completed. However, StudEx cannot support more than one traineeship per study cycle and after every graduation respectively. It is also not permitted to apply for Erasmus scholarships as well as for a traineeship grant at the same time.
• Your permanent residence is in Switzerland. As a foreigner you are in possession of the ‘residence permit C’ a copy of which you will have to hand in to StudEx along with our form declaration of consent.
• You are willing to live in your host country during the traineeship and to work full-time. If you attend a language course, you may work 80 %. Some exceptions for part-time traineeships up to 60 % can be made, however, please contact us before you hand in your request for a grant.
• In the context of Switzerland's indirect membership with the EU educational programmes, StudEx also supports Swiss students who are enrolled at a university (or any other school on the level tertiary A and B) in one of the participating countries and would like to complete a traineeship in another participating country (the same applies for graduates of European schools on the level tertiary A and B). A traineeship in Switzerland, however, cannot be supported.

Please also read the criteria mentioned under point 2. They determine which placements can be supported by StudEx.

For young workers of the German and Rhaeto-Romanic speaking parts of Switzerland who would like to complete a traineeship abroad:

• You graduated from a vocational education training institution in the Swiss German or Rhaeto-Romanic part of Switzerland no longer than twelve months ago (date of effect is the beginning of the traineeship). As a "Berufsmaturand" (young workers who acquired the professional maturity or A-levels) you are also eligible.
• You are interested in completing a traineeship in one of the participating countries of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme. Please note that it is not possible to undertake a traineeship in the country of your nationality (including double nationality).
• Young workers with a diploma of a vocational training institution situated in the canton of Freiburg or Wallis are not supported by StudEx, but by our partner office Swiss Occidental Leonardo SOL in the French speaking part of Switzerland.
• As a rule, StudEx can only support one traineeship. Since "Berufsmaturanden" are also eligible, it is possible to complete one traineeship after your graduation and another once you acquired the professional maturity or A-levels. Should you then continue your formation at a university of applied sciences or any other institution on the level tertiary A and B, you are again eligible to apply for a placement and / or a grant.
• Your permanent residence is in Switzerland. As a foreigner you are in possession of the ‘permit of residence C’ a copy of which you will have to hand in to StudEx along with our form declaration of consent.
• You are willing to live in your host country during the traineeship and to work full-time. If you attend a language course, you may work 80 %. Some exceptions for part-time traineeships up to 60 % can be made, however, please contact us before you hand in your request for a grant.

Please also read the criteria mentioned under point 2. They determine which placements can be supported by StudEx.

For students and recent graduates of European universities who would like to complete a traineeship in the Swiss German or the Rhaeto-Romanic speaking parts of Switzerland: 

• You are currently studying at an institution of higher education (university, technical university, university of applied sciences, i.e. any institution on the level tertiary A and B) in one of the participating countries or you completed your studies there no longer than twelve months ago (date of effect is the beginning of your traineeship).
• You would like to complete a traineeship between three and twelve months in the Swiss German or Rhaeto-Romanic speaking part of Switzerland (for graduates the minimum duration of a traineeship is two months). Please note that if you are Swiss, you may not undertake a traineeship in Switzerland.
• It is possible to complete one traineeship per study cycle (Bachelor, Master, PhD). Students may therefore complete up to three traineeships. Furthermore, as a Bachelor, Master and a PhD graduate you may undertake another traineeship, meaning that over the course of your studies a maximum of six traineeships can be completed. However, STudEx cannot support more than one traineeship per study cycle and after every graduation respectively. It is also not permitted to apply for Erasmus scholarships as well as for a traineeship grant at the same time.
• You are either a citizen of one of the countries participating in the EU vocational programme or your permanent residence is in one of these countries.
• You are willing to live in Switzerland during your traineeship and to work full-time. If you attend a language course, you may work 80 %. Some exceptions for part-time traineeships up to 60 % can be made, however, please contact us before you hand in your request for a grant.

Please ask the international office of your university to issue a written confirmation that you are eligible to participate in the Lifelong Learning Programme and send it to us together with the declaration of consent.

Please also read the criteria mentioned under point 2. They determine which placements can be supported by StudEx.

For young workers coming from Europe who would like to complete a traineeship in the Swiss German or Rhaeto-Romanic part of Switzerland:

• You graduated from a vocational training institution in one of the  countries  participating in the EU vocational programme no longer than twelve months ago (date of effect is the beginning of the traineeship). As a "Berufsmaturand" (young workers who acquired the professional maturity or A-levels) you are also eligible.
• You would like to complete a traineeship in the Swiss German or Rhaeto-Romanic speaking part of Switzerland. Please note that if you are Swiss, you may not undertake a traineeship in Switzerland.
• As a rule, StudEx cannot support more than one traineeship. Since "Berufsmaturanden" (young workers who acquired the professional maturity or A-levels) are also eligible, it is possible to complete one traineeship after your graduation and another one once you received your A-levels. Should you then continue your educaiton at a university of applied sciences or any other institution on the level tertiary A and B, you are again eligible as a student.
• You are a citizen of one of the participating countries of the EU vocational programme or you are a permanent resident in one of these countries.
• You are willing to live in Switzerland during your traineeship and to work full-time. If you attend a language course, you may work 80 %. Some exceptions for part-time traineeships up to 60 % can be made, however, please contact us before you hand in your request for a grant.

Please also read the criteria mentioned under point 2. They determine which placements can be supported by StudEx.

• All criteria mentioned above must be fulfilled.
• The traineeship may not take place in the country of one’s own nationality (including double nationality).
• During the traineeship, the place of residence must be in the same country as the placement is.
• Your traineeship lasts between three and twelve months (for recent graduates and young workers the minimum duration is two months).
• The traineeship corresponds to a full-time position. If you attend a language course, you may reduce to 80 %. Some exceptions for part-time traineeships up to 60 % can be made, however, please contact us before you hand in your request.
• Your salary amounts to less than CHF 2300.-. Trainees who earn more can unfortunately not be supported.
• StudEx cannot support traineeships in the following institutions:
  - Institutions of the European Union (Parliament, Commission etc.);
  - National institutions of the trainees’ country of origin (such as embassies, consulates, cultural institutions and national agencies);
• The completed request for a grant must be handed in within four weeks after the beginning of your traineeship. You will find more information on our website under grants for students and grants for young workers.

Please fill in your request for a grant online (see download area). This enables the electronic registration of your data.

In case we are able to issue you a grant, we will send you the contract per e-mail after the application round (for more information on the Leonardo grant see grants for students and grants for young workers). Please  send your contract within the first four weeks after having received it. Otherwise we will assume that you are willingly renouncing your grant

Both your and your employer's final report must be sent to StudEx within two weeks after the end of the traineeship. You'll find the online forms of the final reports here. We will send you and your employer the login together with the contract for a Leonardo grant. Should you have any problems filling in the report, please let us know.