Completing a professional training internship as a jobseeker
In order to help the most fragile populations to find a job, namely jobseekers of at least 30 years of age, employees with reduced work capacity and disabled employees, the National Employment Agency (ADEM), may offer, under certain conditions, a professional training internship.
The aim of this type of internship is to enable jobseekers to demonstrate their skills and abilities to employers.
Who is concerned
ADEM may offer such a professional training internship to jobseekers who:
- are at least 30 years or older; or
- are currently in an external redeployment programme, or
- have the disabled worker status.
Employers wishing to offer a jobseeker the opportunity to do an internship must be able to offer a real job prospect at the end of the internship.
Prerequisites
The jobseeker must be registered with ADEM for at least one month before being able to participate in such an internship.
Practical arrangements
Internship proposal
Employers willing to host a trainee should contact the ADEM Employers Department and declare their position vacant.
The jobseeker cannot refuse, without valid reason (example of valid reason: the internship does not meet the criteria of an appropriate employment), undergoing an internship of professionalism, proposed by the ADEM.
Duration of the traineeship
The traineeship has a maximum duration of 6 weeks.
Those considered highly qualified, with at least 3 years of successful higher education (bac +3), may expect the duration of the training period increased to 9 weeks if the position corresponds to their qualifications.
Procedure for the internship
An internship agreement is concluded between the job seeker, the employer and ADEM.
The job seeker is supervised by a tutor appointed by the employer throughout the operation of the internship.
The internship is an opportunity for the job seeker to demonstrate his / her professional experience and to demonstrate skills and abilities to the employer.
In the event of a change during the course, the employer is obliged to inform ADEM.
During the period of the internship, the job seeker is entitled to 2 days of holidays per month.
Internship allowance
The internship in a company is an unpaid internship.
However, the trainee is entitled to an allowance of 393,54 euros per month (index 944,43) paid by ADEM. Therefore, the employer will send to the ADEM each week an attendance sheet of the trainee.
Persons receiving unemployment benefits, a tideover allowance, a professional tideover allowance, a waiting pension or severely disabled benefit continue to receive those benefits during the internship
The internship is subject to insurance against occupational accidents. Related contributions are paid by the Employment Fund (Fonds pour l'emploi).
End of internship
The employer informs in writing the ADEM about the possibilities for integrating the jobseeker into the company.
Hiring of a trainee
If hired under a permanent employment contract (contrat à durée indéterminée - CDI) or under a fixed-term contract (contrat à durée déterminée - CDD), the internship period must be deducted from any trial period that is stipulated in the contract.
If, at the end of the internship, an intern who
- is aged 45 years or older
- is in an external redeployment programme
- has the disabled worker status
is recruited under a full-time CDI, the employer may be reimbursed, upon request to the ADEM, for 50% of the minimum social wage for unskilled employees over the 12 months after hiring. If the employee is hired under a part-time CDI contract, the reimbursement will following the hire. If the employee receives a permanent contract on a part-time basis, the reimbursement will be calculated in proportion to the work schedule.
Finally, at the end of the internship, the intern may benefit from a 12-month employment reintegration contract (the duration of the professional training internship is taken into consideration when calculating the 12 months).
Jobseekers who are not hired
If the intern has not been hired, the employer will provide the ADEM with a document indicating the skills acquired by the jobseeker during the internship, as well as any weaknesses that were noted.
Jobseekers are therefore advised to contact their ADEM counsellor to decide on what future actions to take.