Belgium : Work experience

Work placements and internships

It is possible to arrange work experience placements from the UK and there are a number of organisations which can help, including:

• European Union (EU) - offers an established stagiaire programme which lasts five months and runs twice a year. Contact the European Commission Traineeships Office (Bureau de Stages) for more details.
• Europlacement  - searchable database of placements in Belgium in a variety of job sectors.
• IAESTE (The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) - offers course-related placements starting in the summer, lasting from four weeks up to one year for undergraduates of science, engineering, technology and applied arts courses. You can register your interest from the September prior to placement and potential placements are notified in the following February.
• Intern Abroad  - search for internships in Belgium.

Exchange programmes

• AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) - a student-run organisation with an international traineeship exchange programme which offers work experience for periods ranging from six weeks to 18 months.
• The Leonardo da Vinci Programme arranges vocational training exchanges and work placements with partner organisations in other countries. Contact your institution’s international office or careers service for more information.

Teaching schemes

• Teaching opportunities are available at the International School of Brussels (ISB) .
• In order to teach English, you will need a Teaching English as Foreign Language (TEFL) qualification, available through various organisations, including International TEFL Teacher Training (ITTT) .

Volunteering

Concordia International Volunteers and the International Voluntary Service (IVS) in Britain have details of volunteering opportunities in Belgium. 

Casual work and short-term opportunities

You can find some casual work and short-term opportunities by contacting temporary recruitment agencies and government employment offices or by searching in employment sections in various newspapers. See vacancy sources for contact details.

Gap year opportunities

Belgium has an excellent road and rail network linking you to the rest of Europe and so it makes a good location for a gap year. See gap year for information about opportunities in Belgium.