How have EDUFI traineeships in Finnish organisations around the world benefited trainees?

A traineeship abroad that is relevant to the trainee’s studies always provides the trainee with all kinds of insights, including about themself and their home country, and improves their capacity to operate in international environments. 

Traineeships also provide trainees with opportunities to apply what they have learned in practice, including language skills. For the hosting organisations, they also provide opportunities to develop their operations, keep up with the times, so to speak, and utilise modern communications methods, for example. 

However, the wider impacts of traineeships can only be seen over time, both at the individual and organisation level, when those who have completed traineeships abroad find employment either in Finland or abroad.

EDUFI trainees' reports analysed

The analysis was based on the traineeship reports of people who completed EDUFI traineeships in Finnish organisations abroad between 2020 and 2024. As a result, the sample also includes trainees whose traineeships took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, traineeships were understandably either entirely or partly on hold or took place partly remotely. However, even during the pandemic, EDUFI traineeships could not be completed remotely in their entirety. 

The sample included just under 200 reports from students or recent graduates who completed traineeships abroad in Finnish organisations. Approximately 70% of the trainees completed their traineeships in either Finnish diplomatic missions or Finnish cultural institutes abroad. This is due to the fact that these traineeship programmes have had more available traineeships during most calls for applications than the other EDUFI traineeship programmes, namely Business Finland, the Team Finland Knowledge network and Universities teaching Finnish language and culture abroad. The traineeship programme for Finnish diplomatic missions abroad has always been the most popular EDUFI traineeship programme. The Business Finland traineeship programme, on the other hand, was on a break for several years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Was the trainee a student or a recent graduate?

Slightly over 50% of EDUFI trainees reported being recent graduates at the time of their traineeships. EDUFI traineeships have always been available to both students and recent graduates, meaning those who begin their  traineeship within one year of completing a higher education degree. This idea has been, and continues to be, to provide trainees with opportunities to strengthen their competence in order to increase their chances of finding employment, including finding a job through the networks established during their traineeship.

Approximately 40% of the students who had participated in the traineeships reported receiving credits for completing a traineeship abroad. This somewhat low percentage can be explained not only by the large proportion of recent graduates taking part in the traineeships, but also by the fact that a large proportion of those applying for EDUFI traineeships are university students; universities do not always give credits for completing traineeships abroad, unlike universities of applied sciences.

Impact of EDUFI traineeships on studies, careers, competence and personal characteristics

Some 70–80% of trainees reported that their traineeship had a significant or major impact on increasing their knowledge of the host area or country and on strengthening skills relevant to finding a job overall or finding a job corresponding to their skills. Approximately 60% of the trainees reported that their professional networks expanded and their practical language skills and especially their professional language skills improved as a result of their traineeship. 

A large proportion of trainees reported either Finnish or English as their primary or secondary working language, most likely because of how they perceived this while working for Finnish organisations located abroad. Other secondary languages reported included German, French, Spanish, Italian, Estonian, Norwegian, Japanese and Russian. Many trainees also reported having used other languages to varying degrees. Back when EDUFI traineeships could also be completed in local organisations in or outside of Europe through so-called country programmes, the range of primary working languages used by Finnish trainees in their traineeships was much wider and included languages such as Spanish, Chinese, Russian, German and French.

One EDUFI trainee highlighted learning the local language as an important factor in opening the culture of the host country to them in an entirely new way. The same trainee also reported that completing a traineeship outside of Europe opened her eyes to the world outside Europe.

Some 65–75% of trainees reported that their traineeship had a significant or major impact on the following personal characteristics in order of importance: adaptability, courage, self-knowledge, ability to cooperate, ability to network and resilience.

Understandably, trainees also reported a significant increase in interest in new things and understanding of foreign cultures.

Some key thoughts from the EDUFI trainees on how they benefited from their traineeships professionally

Networking and creating contacts:

“I realised that networks and networking are significantly more important than I thought. In networking events, I often had to leave my comfort zone when talking to other participants.” 

“I learned that establishing contacts is not a matter of natural talent, but a skill that can be practised.”

“It was thanks to the networks that I established during my traineeship that I was able to find my current job.”

Cultural sensitivity: 

“I have also thought a lot about how many things can be done in different ways without any of them being wrong. The Finnish way of doing things is not the only way.”

Self-reflection, including professionally:

“The host country and its culture have made me a more open-minded and tolerant person. I have also learned to be more considerate of the people around me.”

General observations about traineeships abroad:

“I had already been here before as an exchange student. This time, however, the experience was very different, as I didn’t have access to the community and safety net provided by a university.”

The Finnish National Agency for Education organises two calls for applications for EDUFI traineeships each year, the first of which starts in February and the second in September. 

Text: Jaana Mutanen, Finnish National Agency for Education