Changes in participation in international traineeships among young people: evidence from Eurobarometer surveys

Purpose International traineeships can equip participants with the skills needed to be successful in a global labour market. This study aims to use data from two Eurobarometer surveys, targeted at young people from 27 European Union (EU) countries, to investigate how the probability of participating in a traineeship in another EU country has varied between 2013 and 2023. Design/methodology/approach Given that young people’s characteristics influencing the probability of taking up international traineeships might have changed over time, multivariate analysis is used to provide an estimate of the change in participation adjusted for the different composition of the two surveys. Findings Not only do the empirical results indicate that the probability of taking part in a traineeship in another EU country has increased between 2013 and 2023, but they also show that participation has risen more rapidly among young individuals from rural areas/villages than among their peers from large towns. Practical implications The finding of this study would seem to suggest that the expansion of traineeship abroad programmes has not left behind young individuals with fewer resources/opportunities. Originality/value This paper focuses on international traineeship, a form of mobility that has attracted less attention from researchers, especially when compared to study abroad.