3.7 Cross-border mobility in employment, entrepreneurship and vocational opportunities
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Programmes and schemes for cross-border mobility
Activities to support young people work, training and entrepreneurial experience abroad are offered by the Unemployment Insurance Fund as part of Your first EURES job, which is a European Union job mobility scheme to help young people find jobs, traineeships and apprenticeship opportunities in other EU countries, Norway and Iceland, and to help employers find qualified workers. It aims to match hard to fill vacancies with young jobseekers and people looking for job-based training across Europe. Through Your First EURES job young people can get financial support for an interview trip abroad, as well as training (e.g. language courses), recognition of qualifications and relocation expenses. Your first EURES job is opened to candidates with different levels of education and/or work experience. The budget of the Estonian input to this scheme is not available.
The Unemployment Insurance Fund is also a contact point for the EU EURES project Drop’pin, which aims to help young people boost their employability and skills by connecting them with a range of opportunities across Europe. Drop’pin opportunities range from onsite, on-the-job learning to online training courses. The budget of the Estonian input is not available.
Legal framework
The Employment Contracts Act regulates the working conditions of young people under 18, but no specific legal framework exists for the cross-border mobility of young workers, trainees/apprentices, and young professionals/entrepreneurs.
International students in Estonia do not need additional work permits to work while studying. Students who are third-country nationals (non-EU citizens) have to apply for a temporary residence permit for study at the Estonian Embassy or Consul in their home country or country of residence. Non-EU students who have been issued a residence permit for studies are also allowed to be employed without work permits when it does not interfere with their studies. All non-EU students can also stay in Estonia for an additional 6 months after their graduation to look for a job in Estonia and to apply for the temporary residence permit for work.