Opportunities for graduates

If you have just finished university or are soon to graduate our Junior Qualification or Traineeship programme might be of interest to you.

Sign up to show your interest and receive notifications when the next exciting opportunity for graduates opens at EASA.

You can follow the status of your application in your candidate profile (login > Jobs Applied). All candidates will be informed about the outcome of the selection procedure, once it is completed.

To ensure a smooth management of the programme, all participants are requested to start at the date indicated in the offer letter. Only in exceptional cases it may be possible to postpone the starting date.

Junior Qualification Programme: As a Junior Professional you will usually be hired on a 3 year Contract Agent contract with the possibility of renewal for a definite period. It may be renewed not more than once for a fixed period of not more than five years. Any further renewal shall be for an indefinite period.

Graduate Traineeship Programme: The traineeship period cannot be extended beyond the maximum period, which is 12 months. 

Junior Qualification Programme: Yes. You are entitled to benefit from part-time work under certain conditions (e.g. after completion of the probation period). Check out our benefits for more details.

Graduate Traineeship Programme: No. All candidates who are accepted for a traineeship must work full time, which at EASA means 40 h/week and 8h/day.

No. However, if you are offered to take part in the Junior Qualification or Traineeship programme, we will provide you with a Welcome Pack including useful information on finding accommodation in Cologne.

Junior Qualification Programme: Junior staff are usually hired on a Contract Agent FG IV contract. You can find examples of monthly salaries and further details about pay, taxation, insurance etc. under benefits.

Graduate Traineeship Programme: The amount of the traineeship grant paid by EASA is specified in the job opening. As described in the applicable traineeship rules, trainees who benefit from any grant from another source or another subsistence allowance shall only be admitted to a financial contribution from EASA, if the sum received is less than the amount of the traineeship grant. In that case, they shall receive the difference.

Traineeship grants are not subject to the tax regulations applicable for EASA staff members. Trainees have the sole responsibility for complying with the tax regulation applicable in their home state. To this purpose, the HR department issues a certificate at the end of the traineeship period, stating the amount of grants received and confirming that tax and social security payments have not been made. 

EASA does not provide health insurance for trainees. Prior to the start date, trainees must provide proof that they are covered by a sickness insurance scheme for the entire duration of their stay at the Agency (e.g., through the European Health Insurance Card or through private insurance). If a trainee fails to provide proof of the insurance, the traineeship shall be terminated. During the traineeship, trainees shall be covered by EASA against the risk of accident according to the relevant EASA insurance contract.

Yes, you can apply again to a future opening. However, you must meet the eligibility criteria as stated in the job posting and if you find an opportunity  matching your interests and competencies, you must submit a new application. Your personal data and your CV (i.e. candidate profile) is saved from your previous application thus your second application attempt will be faster.

There is no age limit for applying for our graduate programmes. The schemes are aimed at recent graduates and junior professionals and present an opportunity to gain initial work experience and to start an exciting career in aviation.

To apply for the Junior Qualification or Graduate Traineeship Programme, you must be a national of a Member State of the European Union or of an EASA Member State (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland or Norway). Applicants of any other nationality will not be considered eligible, unless otherwise specified in the vacancy notice.

Junior Qualification Programme: No. To be eligible you must have obtained your final diploma by the date mentioned in the job posting. ECTS points are not accepted as equivalent to a degree. You will also be asked to provide proof of completion of the full university degree.

Graduate Traineeship Programme: No. To be eligible you must have obtained your final diploma by the start of the programme. ECTS points are not accepted as equivalent to a degree. You will also be asked to provide proof of completion of the full university degree by the start date of the Traineeship Programme.

In order to be eligible for the programmes, you must have obtained a University degree which corresponds to at least 3 years of University education (e.g. Bachelor).

The University degree to be obtained in the specific period indicated in the job posting shall be relevant to the profile and it can be any academic degree (e.g. Bachelor, Master, and PhD).

Junior Qualification Programme: Yes, as a new staff who have to change place of residence you are entitled to a daily subsistence allowance, travel expense reimbursement and after the probationary period to an installation allowance and reimbursement of removal expenses. Further details under benefits.

Graduate Traineeship Programme: Trainees are entitled to a contribution towards the cost of travel between their place of residence and their place of traineeship (Cologne) at the beginning and end of their traineeship if they have completed at least a 3 months traineeship. Travel allowances are paid at the end of the traineeship.

The Traineeship does not entail any right or priority with regard to future engagement with the Agency. However, we encourage you to watch out for permanent positions and to regularly check out the Careers portal.