Apprenticeship

YfEj now provides also the opportunity to look for or offer an apprenticeship contract.

The same kind of supports (recruitment, financial benefits, language training and recognition of qualification) is offered as for the job placements.

However, in order to benefit from YfEj services, the apprenticeship contract must comply with some additional requirements. In particular, employers that take an apprentice through YfEj are required to:

• offer skill-enhancing on-the-job learning and training
• provide proper vocational tutorial/mentoring in the host company or organization throughout the work-based training
• as much as possible, provide settlement and logistical support such as help finding accommodation , facilitate attendance of school classes in the case of dual training system and, is applicable, ensure complementary financial support
• issue a certificate or written declaration formally recognizing the knowledge, skills and competences acquired during the apprenticeship, in accordance with company/national practice.

In principle, apprenticeship compliant with national law may be eligible for support, irrespective of the economic sector or national regulatory framework. However, apprenticeship forming part of mandatory professional certification requirements (as is the normal practice with regulated professions such as law, medicine and architecture) are not covered by YfEj.

Integration programme for apprentices

Regarding the possibility for SMEs to obtain a financial support for the provision of an integration programme, please note that in the case of apprentices, the conditionality rule to obtain support is that there should be no overlap between the integration programme and the planned apprenticeship programme.