Aurora

Do you like to discover new things? Do you enjoy accepting challenges and want to test your knowledge and practical skills in the field? Then it is time to start preparing for your traineeship abroad.

An international traineeship will offer you the chance to learn how to communicate and work efficiently in a multicultural environment, developing your foreign language skills. During your traineeship you will have the opportunity to build up your CV and grow your professional network, while also strengthening your self-confidence and independence.

The Aurora European Universities Alliance is here to extend the offer of relevant student traineeships abroad and to increase their impact through the implementation of four Aurora pilot domains (Sustainability & Climate Change, Digital Society & Global Citizenship, Health & Well-being, Culture: Diversity & Identity), Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation element, research and Service Learning.

• Your traineeship shall take place in one of the countries involved in the Aurora European Universities Alliance, i.e. Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom.
• Its duration is minimum 6 weeks and maximum 5 months during the period September 2021–August 2023.
• Preference will be given to traineeships related to any of four Aurora pilot domains listed above, Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation element, research or Service Learning.
• We can help you to find a relevant host organisation or you can search for it through our associate partner AIESEC. Of course, you can also find a suitable traineeship provider by yourself.
• You will be supported with a grant covering your subsistence and travel costs in the amount of 750 EUR per month.
• For more information on conditions of participation, financial support, application process etc., please see Information for Financial Support Applicants below. To learn more about AIESEC opportunities, please take a look at the current AIESEC offer.

If you are interested, please contact Ing. Kateřina Sladká (katerina.sladka@upo.cz) to discuss your traineeship plans.

Conditions of participation

Applicant requirements

If you are applying for an Aurora traineeship or rather financial support, you have to meet the following conditions:

• you are a student registered at a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral study programme at UP on a full-time, part-time or distance study basis;
• you have to be registered at UP for the entire duration of the traineeship, and your studies cannot be suspended or terminated before the traineeship terminates;
• if the traineeship is in the final year of your Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral study programme, it has to terminate no later than 2 months before your expected graduation date.

Traineeship requirements

While seeking a traineeship, please consider the following aspects:

• the traineeship has to be carried out in an enterprise, training centre, research centre or another organisation (e.g. university hospital);
• EU institutions and bodies (their complete list can be found HERE) and organizations managing EU programs are not eligible as receiving organisations for student traineeships, in order to avoid possible conflicts of interest and/or double funding;
• the traineeship has to take place in one of the countries involved in the Aurora European Universities Alliance, i.e. Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom;
• traineeships are a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 5 months long, implemented from 1 September 2021 to 31 August 2023 (Mobility duration calculator); 
• although the duration is specified before the mobility activity, it may be prolonged or reduced if the participants, the UP as the sending institution, the receiving institution, and the trainee, agree;
• the start date of the mobility period shall be the first day that the participant needs to be present at the receiving institution/enterprise. The end date of the period abroad shall be the last day the participant needs to be present at the receiving organisation/enterprise;
• the traineeship may be interrupted by the enterprise holidays if the host organisation is closed during this period. The closure period does not count towards the minimum duration of a traineeship period;
• the traineeship has to be a full-time employment. The minimum working hours are 35 hrs per week, and the figures vary depending on the legislation of the host countries;
• the traineeship does not require a bilateral agreement. The traineeship has to, however, be agreed upon and confirmed in the form of a Letter of Admission (LoA) or Learning Agreement for Traineeships (LA);
• the traineeship has to be closely related to your field of study, and following its completion it has to be fully recognized by the relevant department/centre as a part of the study programme you are registered with at the UP (award of the agreed number of ECTS credits and/or a diploma supplement);
• preference will be given to traineeships related to any of four Aurora pilot domains (Sustainability & Climate Change, Digital Society & Global Citizenship, Health & Well-being, Culture: Diversity & Identity), Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation element, research or Service Learning;
• previous participation in the Erasmus+ programme does not in any way limit the possibility of carrying out the traineeship financed by the Aurora project.

• financial support will be provided to you on the basis of a Grant Agreement in the form of a lump sum per month (= 30 days) in the amount of 750 EUR;
• if the traineeship does not last for a whole number of months, the financial support for the last month is allocated on the basis of the number of days of the last month spent abroad;
• the financial support consists only of a contribution to cover the mobility-related costs, i.e. travel costs and extra costs of living in the host country (accommodation, meals, public transport);
• with respect to sustainable travel policy train rides are the obligatory option for destinations less than 500 km away from the point of departure. Flights (economy-class) can only exceptionally be requested as means of transportation for faraway destination or if the circumstances prevent the use of trains;
• besides the Aurora financial support you can also receive remuneration from the host organisation, as you become a standard employee following the induction phase of the traineeship/training. The remuneration may take the form of financial contribution and/or contribution in kind (e.g. free accommodation, public transport, subsidized student meal coupons, etc.);
• double funding is prohibited, which means that, apart from the Aurora financial support, you must not receive any other EU funding to cover the mobility costs;
• the financial support will be paid in EUR and/or CZK by bank transfer to your account based in the Czech Republic (in CZK or EUR) in one or two instalments.

For information on  travel insurance, please click HERE. 

Financial support application

Supporting documents of the applicant

The documents based on which you apply for financial support have to be as follows:

• Financial Support Application (to be filled in electronically in Czech or English);
• annexes that are an integral part of the application:

1. Letter of Admission issued by the authorized representative of the host organisation (to be filled in electronically in English);
2. Recommendation Letter issued by a traineeship supervisor, i.e. academician at the relevant department/institute who is responsible for approval of negotiated traineeship and its subsequent recognition (to be filled in electronically in Czech or English). For these purposes, submit the Financial Support Application and Letter of Admission to the supervisor for consultation so that the recommendation is tailored to you and your traineeship. For doctoral student traineeships, the recommendation letter is issued by trainer;
3. Language Proficiency Confirmation documenting the level of proficiency in the language/s of traineeship – a certificate or examination of the given language/s in the transcript of records or examination by the language training centre of the relevant faculty.

Financial support applications and the above annexes are submitted electronically within due deadlines to the Traineeship Abroad Coordinator. 

Incomplete applications that fail to meet the conditions of participation shall not be considered.

NOTE: If you apply for a traineeship through the INTLAG, please submit your financial support application online through this web app!

Deadlines for submitting financial support applications 

Ongoing, at least 6 weeks prior to the traineeship start date. 

Competitive selection

Selection criteria:

• motivation of applicant;
• quality of the traineeship (a detailed and well-structured work programme corresponding to the field of study and motivation factors of the applicant; relevant duration of mobility, etc.);
• recommendation of the departmental professional supervisor for traineeships;
• language skills;
• academic performance;
• applicants enrolled at UP and wishing to undergo a traineeship in their home country are given the lowest priority in the competitive selection.

The results of the selection will be communicated to all the applicants via email within 2 weeks from the deadlines. Until then no decisions shall be made.

Comment:

The financial support application is the only source of information upon which the decision to award/not award a financial support is made. It is in your own best interest to pay the application due attention.

By signing the financial support application you confirm that the information provided in the application and its annexes is complete and true. Incomplete and untrue data may lead to your disqualification from the selection procedure and you may be requested to refund the financial support received.

Ing. Kateřina Sladká

Traineeship Abroad Coordinator (Erasmus+ KA 131, Erasmus+ KA 171, UP Scholarship Programme, Aurora (outgoing students, Erasmus+ KA171 also incoming students)
e-mail: katerina.sladka@upol.cz
tel.: +420 585 631 119
office: Vodární 6, ground floor, door Nr. 1.14

Office hours:

TUE 9:00 - 12:00
WED 9:00 – 11:00, 12:00 – 14:00
THU 9:00 – 12:00