Programmes and schemes for cross-border mobility

Flemish students in higher education can do their internship in another country. Young people can also do an internship outside Belgium, even if this is not part of any education. There are opportunities to do holiday jobs, but also real jobs beyond the Flemish and Belgian borders. JINT (the coordination body for International Youth Work funded by the Government of Flanders) informs young people about international opportunities and helps young people and youth organizations to realize their international plans. Examples are Erasmus+ Youth and ESC (European Solidarity Corps).  

• The Erasmus+ subsidy program is the EU program for education, training, youth and sport. Erasmus+ Youth is the youth section within Erasmus+. Through Erasmus+ Youth, the European Union supports international meetings and exchanges for and by young people and youth workers from youth organizations in their spare time.

• The European Solidarity Corps focuses on projects related to solidarity by and for young people in Europe. With subsidies and support, one can employ a volunteer, intern or employee in an organization, or help young people set up their own project.

Go Strange

The website www.gostrange.be is one of the main instruments for cross-border mobility, as well as the bi-annual information fair ‘Go Strange’. 

Go Strange is part of the information network Eurodesk and has partners in 33 countries. It is also powered by JINT vzw, the coordinating body for international youth work. JINT was commissioned by the Flemish government to make young people aware of their possibilities to go abroad for more than just tourism reasons. JINT informs, stimulates and supports Flemish youngsters to go international.

VDAB-EURES

The purpose of VDAB-EURES services is to provide information, advice and recruitment/placement (job-matching) services for the benefit of (young) workers and employers.

VDAB participates in the EURES-network, thus offering job-seekers support in finding a job abroad. VDAB has implemented an action plan for international mobility.

Flanders Trainee Programme

The Government of Flanders provides grants for traineeships in multilateral organizations such as the United Nations, OESO or the Council of Europe.

These grants are aimed at young people under the age of 35. The traineeships last at least two months and maximum six months in an international organization. The Flanders Trainee Programme reimburses travel and accommodation expenses.

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a cross-border exchange programme that offers new and aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from experienced entrepreneurs who run small businesses in one of the other cooperating countries. 

The exchange of experience takes place during a stay with the experienced entrepreneur, which helps the new entrepreneur to acquire the skills needed to run a small business. The receiving entrepreneur benefits from new business perspectives and has the opportunity to work with foreign partners and learn about new markets. This European exchange programme lasts one to six months and is financed by the European Union.

Legal framework

There is no specific legal framework for the cross-border mobility of young workers, trainees and entrepreneurs. Most of the legal framework targets the population in general.

However, a legal framework for cross-border mobility of young workers, trainees and entrepreneurs depends on the international juridical context. Flanders (and Belgium in general) have bilateral or multilateral agreements with other countries. The agreements allow Belgian social rights to be exported abroad. The social rights of young workers, trainees and young entrepreneurs who stay in the European Economic Area or Switzerland are determined by European legislation.