Learning languages abroad during your professional internship is possible!
Have you finished your studies and are registered as a job seeker? As a recent graduate, you'll need to complete a professional internship. Did you know that it's possible to undertake training abroad during this period to develop your language skills? Languages and Travel, a language travel agency, explains how!
For many, a professional integration internship implies little to no freedom of movement. In reality, opportunities exist to go abroad under certain conditions. One of your missions, should you choose to accept it, will be to learn languages. The professional integration internship is mandatory and lasts 310 days after the completion of studies or training. Once your registration is complete, you are required to be available on the job market and to accept any suitable job or professional training opportunity. It is also mandatory to respond to all summonses from the employment service and to attend appointments with potential employers or for training.
Many constraints seem incompatible with a desire for a change of scenery. And yet, it is entirely possible to gain experience abroad through language learning or an internship !
Reconciling professional integration and experience abroad
Why not take this opportunity to perfect your English in London, strengthen your Dutch in Amsterdam, or learn Portuguese, Spanish, or even German? This will make you more attractive to employers looking for candidates with strong language skills . Keep in mind that for your application to be accepted, this training must significantly increase your chances of finding employment.
How to leave during your professional integration internship
The first step is to submit an application to the director of the unemployment office using form C94C, available on the ONEM website. You must complete one section of the form yourself. The other section will be filled out directly by Languages & Travel. The ONEM director will then approve or reject your project. Their decision will be based on your age, studies, the proposed internship or training, etc. Once the application is accepted by theONEMYou will continue to receive family allowances abroad. If you submitted your application to your payment agency, they will forward the form to the National Employment Office (ONEM).
Depending on the region, there may be restrictions on applying. In Wallonia, Forem requires that the internship or training program not exceed three months. For its European internships, Actiris in Brussels accepts candidates aged 29 or younger.
Working holiday visa or language stay? Both, of course!
For example, you can choose to undertake a stay under a Working Holiday Visa . In this case, the period of your language course abroad counts towards your professional integration internship. Languages & Travel will provide you with a certificate stating the start and end dates of your stay, all on official letterhead.
You can also decide to leave for one or more weeks:
• In Australia, the United States, Malta, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom to learn English
• In the Netherlands, in Amsterdam or Antwerp, Flanders, to study Dutch
• In Germany, in the heart of Berlin, to improve your German
• In Portugal, in Lisbon
Another option is to take English courses during your Working Holiday Visa .
The National Employment Office (ONEM) will send you a letter with its decision. If the decision is positive, you will no longer need to be registered as a job seeker with the regional employment service while you are undertaking training abroad, and your professional integration internship will remain valid. If the ONEM refuses to recognize the training and you undertake it anyway, your professional integration internship will be suspended for the duration of your stay abroad.
Doing an internship abroad, paid or unpaid
Some internships may be partially paid, which doesn't pose any obstacle to a successful internship. You can either find an internship through an agency like ours or find a placement within European programs. So don't hesitate to create your Europass CV , if you haven't already done so.
Generally, internships within European programs are accepted. This includes, among others, the European Voluntary Service, Eurodyssey, Leonardo da Vinci, etc. These are indeed part of the "European Internships" offered by Actiris International (Brussels-Capital Region). The destination countries for internships and training programs listed by Actiris include all Member States of the European Union, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey. Please note that speaking the language used during the internship is required.
Note that the International Youth Bureau, based in Wallonia, offers several scholarships for young people residing in Wallonia or Brussels.
Did you like this article? Also discover all the information on the Working Holiday Visa or the different English exams .