Traineeships at the European Parliament for people with disabilities

The European Parliament is offering paid traineeships to people with disabilities. These traineeships are open both to graduates of universities or equivalent institutions and to people whose qualifications are below university level. The programme offers five-month paid traineeships to disabled candidates, and is run in addition to the other options for traineeships and study visits in the Secretariat of the European Parliament.

The main purpose of the programme is to offer a number of people with disabilities a meaningful work experience as a trainee in the European Parliament, giving them an opportunity to familiarise themselves with its activities.

Additional objectives are:

• to put the European Parliament’s equal opportunities principles into practice by supporting people with a disability in gaining professional experience, enhancing their opportunities for future employment;
• to provide the European Parliament with the contribution and positive experience disabled trainees are likely to bring to its working and cultural environment;
• to contribute to raising the general awareness of disability among Parliament staff, helping to remove reservations or concerns which could constitute barriers to the integration of people with disabilities.

Applicants for this programme of paid traineeship must:

• be nationals of a Member State of the EU or of an applicant country;
• be over 18 years of age;
• have thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the EU and good knowledge of a second;
• not have been awarded any other paid traineeship, or have been in paid employment for more than four consecutive weeks, with a European institution or a Member or political group of the European Parliament.
• certify that they have a disability.

Trainees will receive a monthly allowance. Trainees’ additional costs directly related to the disablity may be covered up to a maximum of 50% of the amount of the monthly scholarship. If need be, trainees will be provided with reasonable accommodation at work to enable them to carry out the essential functions of the job to which they are assigned.

Deadlines:
15 October (for traineeships starting 1 March)
15 May (for traineeships starting 1 October)

Further Details: eurodesk.eu