Almost half of trainees in the EU do not receive compensation

Only 54% of traineeships or apprenticeships in the EU receive compensation, according to Eurofound data published in a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) on participation, quality and outcomes of traineeships in the 27 EU Member States. The report highlights the need to improve the quality of traineeship offerings, including learning support and the possibility of obtaining new skills.

People who have completed a tertiary education degree were more often entitled to compensation than those whose highest completed education was secondary level. These data were extracted from the 2023 edition of Eurofound’s Living and Working in the EU and Neighbouring Countries survey. The survey was conducted online and covers 2,666 respondents aged between 16 to 34.

Over half of young adults in the survey indicated that they had participated in a traineeship or an apprenticeship. Germany had the highest level of participation, followed by Austria, France and the Netherlands, while the lowest levels were recorded in Slovakia, Croatia and Ireland.

Traineeships have become an almost obligatory step for many young adults wanting to enter the labour market. On average, only 4 out of 10 of those surveyed indicated receiving a job offer after their traineeship period, with women having to hold more positions in traineeships or apprenticeships than men do, before securing a regular job.

The European Commission is proposing improving working conditions for trainees, including pay, inclusiveness and quality of traineeships in the EU. The initiative consists of a proposal for a Directive on improving and enforcing working conditions for trainees and combatting regular employment relationships disguised as traineeships. Additionally, it includes a proposal to revise the 2014 Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships with the aim of guaranteeing fair pay and access to social protection.

On Monday 15 April, Ms Eva Lindström, Member of the ECA visited Eurofound, accompanied by Kristina Maksinen, Head of Cabinet of Ms Lindström, and Paloma Muñoz Mula, Auditor and leader of the internal knowledge node on ‘People and living conditions’, to meet with Eurofound’s experts on the topic of ‘Young people: Living and working in Europe’.

Speaking on the publishing of the European Court of Auditors’ report, Eurofound Head of Unit for Social Policies Massimiliano Mascherini emphasised the importance of quality and skills development, ‘As traineeships become more common among young people entering the labour market, it is crucial that they provide good quality learning experiences. Ensuring traineeships are not used to disguise regular jobs is a key concern. Beyond that, traineeship providers should appoint a mentor for targeted support and advice, as well as promote equal access to opportunities and fair compensation.’

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