A site to help you find your way among internships and workplace training
This information site helps you understand training internships, apprenticeships, work-study programmes and professional immersion, in France and in many other countries. It is written for middle and high school pupils, students, recent graduates, adults retraining for a new career and parents supporting a project.
It is not a school, an employer or a placement agency. No place, contract, salary or admission is promised. The pages explain the rules, compare the possibilities and point out what to check, so that everyone can decide with full knowledge of the facts.
The content is divided into five main categories, available from the menu: types of internships, careers and sectors, education levels, pay and allowances, and countries. Each category answers a different question, and the pages complement one another more than they repeat themselves.
Internship, apprenticeship, work-study, immersion: do not mix them up
Many wrong turns in career guidance come from poorly understood vocabulary. Four notions come up again and again.
The internship
An internship is a period spent in a host organisation as part of a course of study. The intern remains a pupil or student, signs an agreement with their school or university and the host organisation, and in some cases receives a stipend. The intern is there to learn, not to replace an employee.
Apprenticeship and professionalisation contracts
These two forms of work-study are based on an employment contract. An apprentice prepares a qualification at a training centre and works for an employer, under the guidance of an apprenticeship supervisor. The professionalisation contract aims at a recognised qualification and is open to a wider range of people. In both cases a salary is paid, according to rules that should be checked.
Immersion
Professional immersion lets you try out a job for a few days or weeks, under an agreement, without any long-term commitment. It suits people who are undecided or who are preparing a change of direction.
How to choose
A pupil in the final year of middle school who wants to discover the world of work will look for an observation placement. A student who wants to fund their studies and gain long experience will look at work-study. An adult retraining will often start with an immersion before comparing training courses. The right choice depends on the status you want, the time available and your need for income.
How the five categories fit together
The simplest approach is to start from your own situation, then open the categories in the order that makes sense for you.
- Types of internships: to understand the format, from the observation placement to the AFEST, with useful documents such as the certificate or the report.
- Careers, sectors and roles: to see what an internship looks like in healthcare, banking, marketing, IT, industry, hospitality, education or agriculture.
- Education levels: to find the rules that apply to the CAP, the vocational baccalaureate, the BTS, the bachelor’s degree, the master’s, the business schools and the engineering schools.
- Pay and allowances: to understand the internship stipend, the apprentice’s salary, training allowances and additional financial aid.
- By country: to compare the frameworks that exist in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
A typical journey looks like this: a master’s student first identifies the format that interests them, then opens the page for their sector, checks the rules for their level of study and finally looks at the financial side. When a stay abroad is being considered, the country category completes the picture. Particular profiles, such as the university graduate, the senior or the person with a disability, also have dedicated pages.
Very different frameworks from one country to another
France draws a clear line between the internship, which is tied to a course of study, and work-study, which is tied to a contract. Elsewhere, the words change and the boundaries shift. In some countries the term “internship” covers both an internship under a formal agreement and a temporary job for a recent graduate. In others, apprenticeship is the pillar of vocational training and enjoys very high prestige.
Before leaving, several points need checking: the internship agreement required by the home institution, whether pay is compulsory, the visa or residence permit, insurance, the working language and the recognition of the experience on your return. The country pages detail these elements for many destinations, from Germany to Japan and from Canada to Tunisia. The rules change regularly, which is why it pays to confirm them with your institution and with the authorities of the country concerned.
Pay and financial aid: what to check
The question of money deserves to be dealt with early. An internship under an agreement may entitle you to a stipend beyond a certain length, an apprentice receives a salary, a jobseeker in training may receive an allowance or a payment, and other forms of aid exist for transport, housing, meals or international mobility.
Three useful habits
- Compare the status before the amount: a stipend, a salary and an allowance do not follow the same rules or carry the same associated rights.
- Look for additional aid: mobility grants, partial reimbursement of costs, housing assistance.
- Check the figures with official sources or your institution, because amounts and thresholds change.
The pages in the Pay and allowances category explain each of these situations and indicate when a step needs to be taken.
Preparing your application: CV, cover letter and agreement
An application for an internship or a work-study place is prepared like a small campaign.
The CV and the letter
A student CV fits on one page. It highlights education, projects, languages and the tools you have mastered. The cover letter explains why this organisation, why this moment in your studies and what the candidate can bring. A letter that could be sent to any company has little chance of being read.
The agreement
The internship agreement is signed before the period begins by the student, the institution and the host organisation. It sets out the dates, the tasks, the working hours, any stipend and the name of the supervisor. No task should begin without it.
Timeline
For a long internship or a work-study place, the search often starts several months ahead. It helps to note each application, the follow-up date and the reply received.
Caution: scams, abusive internships and agreements to check
Looking for an internship exposes you to a few traps, which are better known in advance.
- Offers that ask for money: a serious employer does not charge a candidate for hosting them, and a placement organisation must set out its terms clearly.
- Unpaid internships that disguise a job: full-scale duties, with no supervision or educational goal, are a reason to raise the question with your institution.
- Promises of a job offer: no internship guarantees a contract, and any verbal assurance must be confirmed in writing.
- Documents handed over too quickly: identity papers and bank details should only be given to an identified contact.
Before signing anything, reread the agreement or contract, check the duration, hours, tasks and the supervisor’s name, then ask the internship office or an adviser for an opinion if in doubt.
Where to find genuine offers
This site explains; it does not publish offers. To find an internship or a work-study place, several routes exist: specialist platforms, institutions’ careers services, alumni networks, targeted speculative applications and recruitment fairs. The three organisations listed on this page are starting points among others.
It is advisable to cross-check several sources, to read each advertisement carefully and to verify that the host organisation really exists before sending personal documents.
Frequently asked questions about internships
What is the difference between an internship and work-study?
An internship is part of a course of study and rests on an agreement: the intern remains a pupil or student. Work-study rests on an employment contract, with a salary, and combines periods in a company with periods of classes. The choice depends on the length you are aiming for, your need for income and the qualification you are preparing.
Does an internship have to be paid?
It depends on the length, the country and the status. In France, a stipend may be due beyond a certain length for an internship under an agreement. The amount and conditions should be checked with your institution and official sources, because they change regularly.
Can you do an internship without being enrolled at an institution?
As a general rule, an internship under an agreement requires enrolment. People who do not have this status can look at professional immersion, pre-hiring training or work-study. Graduates and adults retraining will find ideas in the pages devoted to their situation.
When should you start looking?
For a short internship, a few weeks is sometimes enough. For a final-year internship or a work-study place, the search often begins several months before the start of the academic year. It is better to note each application and follow up politely than to wait for an unprompted reply.
How can you spot a doubtful offer?
Several signals should raise the alarm: a request for payment, an anonymous email address, vague tasks, an immediate promise of a job or the absence of an agreement. It is wise to look up the organisation, call an official number and ask your institution for advice before replying.
Can you do an internship abroad?
Yes, provided your institution agrees and a suitable agreement is in place. You also need to look at pay, the visa, insurance, language and housing. Mobility grants exist in some cases. The country pages present these points destination by destination.
