Traineeships at ERA │ European Union Agency for Railways

The European Union Agency for Railways welcomes students, graduates and professionals wishing to gain practical experience within a European Union agency and contribute to the development of a safe, interoperable and sustainable railway system across Europe.

A traineeship at ERA offers the opportunity to work in an international environment, contribute to meaningful projects and gain first-hand insight into the activities of the Agency.

Why join ERA?

As a trainee, you will:

Gain hands-on professional experience in a European Union agency;
Work alongside experts from across Europe;
Contribute to real projects and day-to-day activities;
Receive guidance from a dedicated mentor;
Develop your professional and intercultural skills;
Access learning and development opportunities.

Types of traineeships

Type of traineeship	Designed for	Key features	Eligibility
Graduate Traineeships	For recent university graduates wishing to gain professional experience in a European Union agency.	Duration of up to 10 months; Monthly grant; Travel reimbursement (subject to eligibility conditions); Annual leave entitlement; Access to training opportunities.	Hold a university degree or equivalent qualification (minimum three years of study); Have a very good knowledge of English; Have a good knowledge of a second official EU language (other than your mother tongue). Priority is given to candidates who have not previously completed a traineeship in a European Union institution, body or agency.
Thesis Traineeships	For students preparing a thesis or research project related to ERA's activities.	Flexible duration and start date; Practical support and supervision from ERA experts.	Open to students preparing a thesis or research project related to ERA's areas of activity.
Student Traineeships	For students whose academic programme includes or requires a work placement.	Short-term placement; Practical exposure to the work of the Agency.	Open to students who are required, or encouraged by their academic programme, to complete a professional placement as part of their studies.
Secondment Traineeships	For professionals temporarily assigned to ERA by their employer.	Opportunity to gain experience of ERA's activities and working methods; Flexible arrangements depending on the seconding organisation.	Open to professionals who are seconded to ERA by their employer for a temporary placement.

Detailed eligibility conditions for each type of traineeship are available in the Rules Governing Traineeships:

Consolidated version of the rules governing traineeship at ERA (2026)

English (454.31 KB - PDF)

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What do we offer?

Depending on the traineeship scheme, trainees may benefit from:

A monthly grant;
Reimbursement of eligible travel expenses;
Annual leave entitlement;
Access to selected staff training opportunities;
Guidance from an assigned mentor throughout the traineeship;
Valuable professional experience within a multicultural European agency;
The opportunity to contribute to projects supporting the development of the European railway system.

How to apply

Applications are accepted only when a call for applications is published.

When a call is open:

Complete the application form;
Follow the instructions provided in the call;
Submit your application before the deadline.

📌 View current vacancies and calls for applications

For traineeship-related questions, please contact:

✉️ hr_traineesera [dot] europa [dot] eu (hr_trainees[at]era[dot]europa[dot]eu)

⚠️ Please read carefully

ERA does not consider unsolicited or spontaneous applications received by email, post or delivered at the Agency's headquarters. Only applications submitted in response to a published vacancy or call for applications can be considered. ERA does not use recruitment agencies for the recruitment of interim staff.

🎬 Hear from our trainees

What’s it like to be a trainee at ERA?

Discover the experience through the eyes of our trainees in this video produced by ERA's 2025 trainees.

Remote video URL

Traineeships at ERA