Graduates from vocational education and training will be able to apply for the European Commission’s Blue Book traineeship for the first time under updated rules announced by the Commission.
The Commission has adopted a single, modernised framework for the traineeship scheme, replacing previous separate decisions and setting out one set of rules for applicants, trainees and Commission services, it informed on Thursday.
Vocational education and training — often shortened to VET and focused on job-specific, practical skills — will be recognised as an eligible route into the programme alongside university degrees.
The Commission also said it has changed the financial conditions for trainees by improving the structure of grants and allowances, to help reduce practical and financial barriers to taking part.
New timetable for the updated scheme
The updated rules will apply from the traineeship session starting in March 2027, according to the Commission.
Applications for that session will open on 22 July 2026 and close on 4 September 2026.
The Blue Book traineeship is the Commission’s main traineeship programme and has typically attracted recent university graduates.
It receives around 36,000 applications each year and offers nearly 2,000 places annually across the Commission, 14 EU agencies and bodies, and the European External Action Service.
The new framework also includes provisions on anti-harassment and non-discrimination, and places greater emphasis on geographical balance across EU member states.
