Are you a European citizen aged between 18 and 30 interested in working for other people, learning new skills and enjoying a new and stimulating experience? Or are you interested in recruiting a young European to support your activities in relation to solidarity? The European Solidarity Corps programme from the EU fosters mobility across the European Union and encourages paid placements that are useful to others.
The European Solidarity Corps aims to offer 6,000 fixed term work placements ranging from 2 to 12 months to young Europeans across the Union in occupations with a solidarity dimension. The work placements can be in form of a job, a traineeship, or an apprenticeship. Funded by the European Commission, it was announced in September 2016 and officially launched in December 2016.
The project «European Solidarity Corps for Youth” is part of the occupational strand of the European Solidarity Corps. It seeks to match potential employers and interested candidates. The project website is the easiest entry door for both, potential employers and interested candidates.
Identified by Pôle emploi, the French Public Employment Service, and its partners, these placements are solidarity-related in the widest sense: food aid, healthcare, social inclusion, reception of migrants and refugees, environmental protection, culture, education and so on. The placements are limited to an employment, apprenticeship or traineeship contract for a period of between two and twelve months. By participating in this programme, you will receive a salary or an allowance from your employer, depending on the type of contracts.
On the employers’ side, there are many advantages and few obligations for taking part:
Any type of organisation from any economic sector can take part in the programme, whatever its number of employees.
The organisation needs to:
- Be legally established (have a legal identity) in the European Union
- Offer a paid fixed term job, traineeship or apprenticeship with a solidarity dimension
- Be compliant with labour and fiscal laws applicable in the country where you are established and the work placement takes place
As an employer, there are nine good reasons for taking part:
- Your employment needs are taken into account
- You have access to talented youngsters who are rapidly operational
- You are supported by dedicated employment counsellors all along the process
- You may benefit from financial support for integrating the youngster in the team (up to €2,000) if your organisation is an SME (i.e. 250 employees maximum)
- You kick off or enhance your multicultural dimension
- You bring new perspectives to the team
- You explore business prospects abroad
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is more than words to you and the human factor counts
- You invest in Europe’s youth, contributing to shaping a better society for the next generation
Employers can send their work placement offers to the project consortium by completing the form on the project website.
They will be contacted and assisted by the EU Solidarity Corps counsellor in charge.
On the candidates side, the initiative can be a springboard for their professional future. Young Europeans (from the 28 member states), aged 18 to 30, can manifest their interest in taking part by registering in the dedicated section of the website. They will also be contacted by the EU Solidarity Corps counsellor in charge and will be accompanied all along the process, from the initial contacts with the employer, throughout their stay abroad and until they return home.
Furthermore, the European Commission is also calling on interested parties to put forward ideas for projects under the European Solidarity Corps. The deadline to apply is 16 October 2018, except for projects of volunteering teams, who have time to apply until 18 February 2019.