60 Years Anniversary of the Traineeships Programme

Последно ажурирана на Понеделник, 23/11/2020

The European Commission’s ‘Blue Book’ Traineeships scheme turned 60 years in 2020. Starting with only 3 trainees back in 1960, the programme now comprises two paid traineeship sessions a year, of 5 months each, for about 1 000 trainees per session.

The European Commission’s ‘Blue Book’ Traineeships scheme turned 60 years in 2020. Starting with only 3 trainees in its first session in 1960, the Traineeships Office is today organising two paid traineeship sessions a year, starting in both March and October and lasting 5 months each, for about 1 000 trainees per session. Today, the traineeships scheme has expanded from Brussels to Luxembourg and further afield, such as Grange or Vigo, Frontex in Warsaw and DG COMM’s Representations across all Member States. The scheme offers graduates an opportunity to get an insight into the work of the Commission and a number of its Agencies and it allows trainees to gain professional experience by putting their academic knowledge to practice.

To capture the story of 60 years of trainees leaving their mark in our institution against the background of those landmarks that made Europe what it is today, we have invited former trainees to share their stories. They all illustrate the diversity of our trainees’ profiles and show how the Traineeships programme, and even the EU, have evolved against the backdrop of European events. There is a common theme for all their personal journeys: the discovery of intercultural diversity to find common ground in EU cooperation. The Traineeships programme continues to operate at full capacity, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, in a traineeship format suitable to the current reality. It is yet another proof, on one hand, of the Commission’s solidarity with the young generations and, on the other hand, of the resilience and professionalism of our trainees.

Follow the inspiring stories of former trainees on our EuropeanYouthEU Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and find more information about the 'Blue Book' traineeships also in our dedicated article.