For the first time, vocational education and training graduates can apply for a dedicated strand of the European Commission’s Blue Book Traineeship programme – the traineeship scheme to work for a short period of time in the European Commission and its agencies in Brussels and Luxembourg.
During a webinar organised for the EfVET community, Mojca Boltin from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security presented the new opportunity and explained the application, pre-selection and recruitment processes.
The new strand represents an important step towards recognising vocational qualifications and giving VET graduates direct access to professional experience within the European institutions.
A first in the history of the Blue Book traineeship programme
Established more than 60 years ago, the Blue Book Traineeship is the European Commission’s flagship traineeship programme. It welcomes approximately 1,000 trainees twice a year, offering participants five months of practical work experience within Commission departments, services and agencies, primarily in Brussels and Luxembourg.
Until now, the programme was available to university graduates. From 2026, with the introduction of the new administrative traineeship for VET graduates, candidates holding eligible vocational qualifications corresponding to European Qualifications Framework Levels 3 to 5 can also apply.
The traineeship enables participants to apply their vocational knowledge and technical skills to practical and job-related activities in an international professional environment.
Successful applicants will benefit from:
- five months of paid practical work experience;
- supervision and guidance from an experienced adviser;
- experience in an international and multicultural workplace;
- opportunities to strengthen professional, technical and transversal skills;
- networking opportunities across the European institutions;
- first-hand insight into European policymaking and public administration.
Under the conditions established by the programme, applicants from EU candidate and potential candidate countries are also eligible. Some European Commission departments and services might offer placements only for EU candidates.
Approximately 100 traineeship places are expected to be reserved for VET graduates during the first edition, while around 300 candidates will be included in the Virtual Blue Book database from which Commission services can recruit.
Eligibility
Applications first undergo an eligibility check, i.e.:
- Possessing a VET qualification in fields such as:
- Automotive, Engineering and Manufacturing
- Business, Administration and Finance
- Healthcare, Social care and Education
- Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Tourism
- Information Technology (IT) and Digital Media
- Others
- Good knowledge of English, French or German and another official EU language (the latter does not apply for non-EU candidates)
- No more than six weeks of previous work experience in an EU institution, body or agency
- Be at least 18 years old – there is no maximum age limit
The steps of the selection process
Mojca Boltin explained that the process begins with the online application and continues through several pre-selection and recruitment stages.
- Eligible applications are then assessed using an automated scoring system based on predefined criteria. This system does not use artificial intelligence when processing the application’s information.
For the new VET strand, the scoring is weighted as follows:
- 45% – vocational education and qualifications;
- 20% – language skills;
- 20% – professional experience;
- 10% – qualifications in areas where relevant skills are in particularly high demand;
- 5% – other relevant criteria, including measures supporting geographical balance.
National guiding rates are applied to applicants from EU Member States to support balanced geographical representation. Candidates from EU candidate and potential candidate countries are assessed together within a separate group.
2) Within each group, the highest-scoring candidates progress to document verification. A three-member pre-selection committee checks that all information declared in the application is supported by the required evidence.
3) Only candidates whose documents fully correspond to the information provided in their application are admitted to the Virtual Blue Book. Candidates included in the Virtual Blue Book can apply for specific traineeship positions offered by European Commission departments, services, agencies and bodies.
4) Each candidate can apply for up to three positions, normally through three separate application rounds. Recruiting services may review applications, contact candidates and organise interviews before making their final decision.
The original pre-selection score is therefore not the sole basis for the final placement. Commission services select the applicants whose qualifications, technical competences, experience and motivation best match the requirements of each position. There are generally around three times as many candidates in the Virtual Blue Book as available traineeship places. Inclusion in the database should consequently be understood as an opportunity to compete for positions rather than as a guarantee of recruitment.
5) When a candidate is selected, the Commission’s Traineeships Office issues an official placement offer through the applicant’s online account. The selection becomes final only when this formal offer appears in the account.
6) Candidates may then accept or refuse the offer. Accepting confirms the traineeship, while refusing it ends the selection process for that session. Applications remain valid for one session only and candidates may apply again during a future application period.
Practical advice for VET applicants
As this is the first year in which the Blue Book programme has been opened to vocational graduates, the European Commission will provide dedicated assistance to VET applicants through a specific contact form.
During the webinar, Mojca Boltin encouraged prospective candidates to approach the application process carefully and offered several practical recommendations:
- complete every part of the application form accurately;
- ensure that names and personal information correspond exactly to official identity documents;
- check that qualifications, employment experience and language skills can be supported by appropriate evidence (certificates, diplomas, etc.);
- read every eligibility declaration carefully before submitting the application;
- combine all supporting documents into a single, clearly organised PDF file;
- avoid submitting at the last minute;
- review the complete application carefully, as documents cannot be changed after submission.
The single PDF containing the supporting documents should be clear, legible and fully consistent with the information entered in the application form. The Commission also recommends including a table of contents and arranging the documents in the required order.
Applications timeline
Applications for the traineeship session beginning in March 2027 are open:
From: 22 July 2026 at 10:00, Brussels time
Until: 4 September 2026 at 10:00, Brussels time
The pre-selection process will take place during September and October 2026, followed by the selection phase in November and December.
Applicants may submit only one application per session and per traineeship strand. The available strands within the Blue Book traineeships include:
- the administrative traineeship for university graduates;
- the administrative traineeship for VET graduates;
- the translation traineeship.
For traineeships beginning in October, applications generally open in February. For traineeships beginning in March, applications normally open in July or August of the preceding year.
An important recognition of vocational excellence
The introduction of the VET strand in the Blue Book traineeship programme, following the recent opening of the European parliament’s Schuman traineeships to VET graduates, is more than an extension of an existing traineeship programme. It sends an important message about the value of vocational qualifications, practical competences and diverse educational pathways within the European institutions.
For VET graduates, the programme offers an opportunity to make use of their technical and professional skills in a European working environment, develop new competences and gain a deeper understanding of the European Union workings.
EfVET therefore invites its members and partners to actively promote the Blue Book Traineeship for VET Graduates across their institutions and networks and to encourage eligible candidates to submit their applications before the 4 September 2026 deadline.
Learn more and apply through the official Blue Book Traineeship portal: https://traineeships.ec.europa.eu/administrative-traineeship-vocational-education-and-training-graduates_en