Traineeship abroad

Most of the degrees in the University of Oulu offer you an opportunity to complete your degree specific traineeship also overseas, outside Finland. If this is your choice, these pages will guide you through the process and introduce you to the programmes and grants available for international traineeships.

One of the best learning experiences during the studies

Traineeship overseas is one of the best ways to get an international work experience and a unique opportunity to gain professional and international networks. If you are considering an international career after graduation, a traineeship abroad ensures a greater chance of success in your career goals.

If you are an international degree student, we encourage you to search traineeship possibilities also in Finland. By completing your traineeship locally, you will learn more about the Finnish working culture and open doors to the Finnish job market. Read more about the support and grants available for the traineeships in Finland on the UniOulu Career Centre website.

Successful traineeship abroad – step by step

1. Find the traineeship

The search of the suitable traineeship place is your task as a student. Before planning further, do contact the traineeship contact person in your faculty to know the requirements of your degree specific traineeship. In addition, study carefully the guidelines of each traineeship and grant option. After knowing the possibilities, you are better off searching for a traineeship independently. Companies and public and private organisations are all valid traineeship places. You may also comlpete the traineeship in a higher education institution, for example in a research or service unit of the university. Traineeships completed for a private person (for example au pair work) is not grant eligible.

Discuss the traineeship plans with your lecturers and fellow students, they may have useful tips for searching different opportunities. The traineeship reports of the UniOulu students previously abroad can be read in the SoleMOVE application system.

2. Study the grant options

University of Oulu supports traineeships overseas with the following grants:

  • Erasmus+ traineeship grant – traineeships in Europe. NB! Erasmus+ grants for traineeships starting before 1.6.2024 are limited. Please study the grant website for further information.
  • UniOulu international traineeship grant – traineeships outside Europe and those traineeships in Europe that are not Erasmus+ grant eligible. NB! The UniOulu traineeship grants for 2024 are limited. Please study the grant website for further information.
  • Embassy traineeship grant – traineeships in the Finnish embassies abroad, only possible for Finnish or fluent Finnish speaking students.

The prior requirement for all the grants is that your traineeship is accepted and credited in your own degree programme. The work abroad must be full time (minimum 30 hours per week) and you must be enrolled present in the University of Oulu for the entire traineeship time. The entire traineeship must be completed and reported before graduation i.e. no grants will be paid for a graduated student.

The grant may be the only financial support for the traineeship, excluding the possible pay from the employing organisation. In case you receive salary or other financial support from the University of Oulu (or any other instance) for the time of your traineeship, you are not eligible for the traineeship grant.

As the traineeship grant is meant for the travel costs, you must have a permanent address in Finland before departing overseas. In case you plan on a traineeship in your home country, do make sure that the target of intercultural learning is met in the actual work. We recommend you to make use of the opportunities in Finland or in a country other than the country of your origin.

The UniOulu traineeship grant may be awarded only once during one degree – for the traineeship in Finland or abroad. You may apply the UniOulu grant for the second time only after the degree for which the previous UniOulu traineeship grant was awarded is fully completed. Erasmus+ grant that may be received more than once and it is not dependent on other grants.

Additionally, each grant type has its own guidelines. We encourage you to study carefully what is the best grant option for your plans.

If you are entitled for the Kela Financial aid for students for your studies in Finland, you may also apply the aid for the traineeship overseas. For further information, please contact Kela directly.

3. Confirm the traineeship

The traineeship abroad should be fully credited to your degree. Once you have found a possible traineeship, contact the teacher responsible for the traineeships in your degree programme to ensure that the planned traineeship is suitable for your degree studies.

4. Prepare the traineeship agreement

When the traineeship plan is confirmed, prepare the official traineeship agreement and have it signed by all the required parties: the teacher responsible for your traineeship in UniOulu, the representative of your traineeship organisation and you. Scanned and electronically signed documents are also accepted.

Each traineeship type has its own agreement template. Make sure to use the correct document. The templates are available here.

5. Apply for the traineeship on SoleMOVE

After you have a ready traineeship agreement with all the required signatures, submit a traineeship application in the SoleMOVE online application system. As there are several applications available, please see the grant specific website for more detailed instructions.

The submitted application will first be processed by your faculty’s traineeship contact person who will send it to the International Mobility Services for the final acceptance.

You will receive the final decision on your application via email. In case of accepted application, the email provides you also with further instructions how to confirm your traineeship offer in SoleMOVE.

6. Apply for the grant on SoleGRANT

Upon receiving the acceptance email from SoleMOVE, you will also get instructions on how to apply the grant in the SoleGRANT grant application system.

The grant is always paid in two parts: 80 % at the beginning of the traineeship and the remaining 20 % after the traineeship is completed and reported accordingly. There are no separate application times, but the grants are applicable throughout the year subject to the availability of the funding.

Remember to make the traineeship application on time. No grants are awarded for the completed traineeships or the traineeships that have already started before the submission of the SoleGRANT application.

7. Get ready to travel

Ready, set, go! Before the actual traineeship, you will be invited to the traineeship abroad kickoff meeting organised by the International Mobility Services. In the meeting, we will make sure that you are ready to start your travels and have all the information needed. The invitation will be sent to you via email once your SoleMOVE application is accepted.

The University of Oulu provides you with insurance for occupational accidents and with work liability insurance for the time of your traineeship. Additionally, comprehensive travel insurance is needed and at your own responsibility. Insurance matters are part of the kickoff meeting agenda.

8. Once abroad

In case there is a need for changes to the planned traineeship, contact the UniOulu faculty traineeship contact person as well as International Mobility Services. The possible changes must be accepted by all the parties included in the process.

We welcome you to share your experience via different channels in social media. If you have a public Instagram account, tag your posts with #uniouluabroad. Please note that by using the hashtag, you also allow UniOulu to use your post in the exchange promotion.

The International Mobility Services and the faculty traineeship contact persons are there for you and your questions during the entire traineeship time.

9. Get credits and complete the process

Before your traineeship ends, ask your host organisation for a signed traineeship certificate that includes the exact duration (start and end dates) of your traineeship and the tasks completed. The certificate may be on the host organisation’s own template except in Erasmus+ traineeships, where the Erasmus+ traineeship certificate must be used (see the traineeship document templates).

After the end of the traineeship, send the traineeship certificate to the teacher responsible for accepting your traineeship credits and make sure to complete other possible traineeship requirements given by your faculty.

Give feedback about your traineeship by filling in the feedback tab in SoleMOVE and upload the traineeship certificate and your UniOulu transcript of records updated with the recognised traineeship credits to the SoleMOVE’s after exchange - part.

The traineeship must be completed and reported within one month from the final traineeship day. Make sure to do everything on time as the second payment of the grant is conditional to this one-month deadline.

Further information

Further information

Questions about completing the traineeship and the degree specific requirements: Traineeship contact persons in the faculties.

Questions about the grants and application: International Mobility Services