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Applying for an international learning at work period

Learning at work abroad is the greatest experience of the studies for many students. As a vocational student in Omnia you have a possibility to learn at work for example in Spain, Germany, France, Italy, the Baltic countries, Sweden, Japan and China.

Applying for a learning at work period abroad

Application period

There are two application rounds for international learning at work periods in each school year: the application round for the periods to take place in spring/summer usually ends by the end of October and the application round for the periods to take place during autumn/winter usually ends by the end of March. The exact dates will be announced in good time on this page.

The application round for the learning at work periods abroad for autumn 2023 in Wilma is open on 15.1.–31.3.2023. If you encounter any errors or problems while applying in Wilma, please contact the Wilma team and international services by email (wilmahelp@omnia.fi ja mika.heino@omnia.fi).

Application process

By the end of the application time you need to return the following documents:

  1. Fill in the Application for International learning at work period
    • You can find the form in the Wilma’s applications and decisions section. Indicate in the application the time of the period abroad you want and your destination country. Attach a free-form application letter saved in pdf format. You will update these documents before the actual period abroad.
    • If you are of legal age, the form will automatically be forwarded to your responsible teacher for processing. Once your application has been processed by your teacher in charge, it will be submitted to the head of education for approval. Only then will your application be processed by the international services.
    • If you are a minor, your guardian (NOTE! One guardian) must visit Wilma to approve your application before your responsible teacher can process it.
  2. A freely formulated cover letter
    • Write it in English or in the language of your target country and attach it to your application in Wilma. You can use the free form cover letter found under "Document templates and instructions for application process" as a basis.
  3. Write a CV in English
    • Attach it to your Application for International learning at work period in Wilma. You can use the CV template below in the "Document templates and instructions for application process" to write your own CV or create a Europass CV (europa.eu).
    • Instructions for writing a Europass CV can be found in the box below.

After receiving your application, the international expert in your field will contact you within two weeks of the application deadline. There is also a mandatory international info for all applicants, where you can get answers to practical questions about the application process.

Do you need help with the application process?

In case you need help to draft the documents, contact the international contact teacher of your field.

Document templates and instructions for application process

You can use these document templates to help you in the application process.

Selection criteria for the learning at work period abroad

The selection criteria for the the learning at work period abroad are the following criteria:

  • You need to possess good behaviour and conditions to represent Omnia and Finland in a positive way.   
  • You need to be able to communicate in English or in the language of your target country. 
  • Your health is good enough (book an appointment with the school nurse).
  • You need to be at least 18 years old or under 18 if your parents literally allow your international learning at work period before you turn 18.  
  • At least one competence demonstration must have been performed during the studies in Omnia and at least one learning at work period has to be fulfilled in Finland.
  • You need to have chosen the international thematic studies. 

Preparing for the learning at work period abroad

Every student, who participates in a Learning at work period abroad, must participate in an info (by international experts). The students, who do not have former studies before starting their studies at Omnia after the comprehensive school, have to take studies from the international thematic studies. In addition to that, it is recommendable to study language of the target country before the mobility at a language course organized by Omnia or independently.

Preparation procedure

After receiving confirmation of the actualization of your international period from your international expert, act in the following way:

  • Make an appointment with your Omnia nurse. The nurse will verify the appointment directly to Wilma, where the entry will pass to your details and allow a future grant agreement to be drawn up.
  • Make an appointment with your international expert to make a grant agreement. The contract will be made electronically in Wilma, but it is a good to settle a meeting for it so that you can go through the details of the contract together.

    Please, keep in mind that after you have signed the grant agreement, you can cancel the earning at work period abroad only with Force Majeure reasons (like death of a near relative or in case of an acute illness). In case you cancel or interrupt your mobility because of non-Force Majeure reason, you will be obliged to refund all costs of your period to Omnia.
     
  • Make sure you get an English language training agreement from your teacher responsible for learning at work period. She/He does it in Wilma and prints and signs it before the start of your learning at work period abroad. It is your responsibility to have it signed at the host company during the period. It is possible to create a training agreement after the international expert has made you a grant agreement in Wilma. 
  • In case you are entitled to a free lunch at Omnia, you will also be entitled to a food allowance for your international period during your whole stay abroad (including Saturdays and Sundays and the travelling days). Discuss this with your responsible teacher or the teacher responsible for your learning at work period abroad.
  • In case you will carry out a Skills demonstration abroad, fill a plan for it with your vocational teacher.
  • Once the grant agreement has been done, take the first Online Linguistic Support (OLS) language test. You will receive the invitation in your email.
Safety information

Before the learning at work period, fill in the Student’s safety information form and forward a copy to your international expert.

International services for vocational students - Student’s safety information pdf, 288.27 KB

This document contains important information about you, your destination and about your next of kin who is your ICE contact person during your period abroad.

Financing the international period

Grant

The EU grant, which Omnia will grant to you, covers in most cases travel and accommodation costs. You will get 90 % of the grant (subtracted by flight tickets and accommodation costs) before you travel and the rest 10 % of it after the period if any money is left after the costs have been paid, when you have taken care of all obligations of the period and returned all documents asked.

A smaller travel aid is available to some destination countries. Discuss this matter with your international expert and if necessary, fill in the needed document (you will receive this from the international expert).

Keep in mind that you will also need own funding for your international period. In minimum around 300-400 euros/month should be reserved for a period abroad. The exact amount will depend on the general price level in the mobility country and on your consumption habits.

Study grant

You can apply for accommodation grant (asumislisä) from Social security institution (Kela) in case your learning at work period lasts in minimum 8 weeks. Apply for it in good time. To apply this grant, you need to attach a certificate of your international period to the application. You will receive this certificate from your international expert. Read more about housing benefits (kela.fi).

Travel documents

Permits

Check and take care of different possibly needed permits for your international learning at work period in time. You can find out from the Embassy of the target country, which permissions you need. You might need a study, residence or work permit or visa (these are not required in the Scandinavian, Schengen nor EU/ETA- countries if you are a Finnish resident or you have a permanent residence permit to stay in Finland).

Some countries or professional fields require a criminal records extract. Contact your teacher or international expert to find out if you need such a document.

Insurances

Apply for a European Health Insurance card (eurooppalainen sairaanhoitokortti) from the Social security institute (Kela) : European health insurance card (kela.fi).

Omnia will insure you for accidents at work and during the travels from your accommodation to work and back. Omnia has also covered all students with a liability insurance during their international learning at work periods. For your free time you need to buy an own travel insurance from your insurance company. It should also cover luggage and travel time sicknesses. Make sure that your insurance is valid during your whole stay. Many common travel insurances cover costs only for trips which last in maximum 45 days. It is however normally possible to buy extra days even for this kind of insurances.

During the learning at work period

Keep contact with your vocational teacher and international expert in Omnia during your learning at work period abroad. It will be good to be in touch in minimum once a week with your vocational teacher and send photos of your work to her/him.

Every student is obliged to draft two reports of his/her learning at work period abroad. The first one will be submitted to the EU and the other to Omnia. The travel report can be either a blog (which is the preferred mode) or PDF report. The best reports will be published at International Omnia site.

A blog is a good way to authenticate one’s learning in real time and to give a possibility for the vocational teacher to give feedback about the progress of the period. Students can utilize in their studies Blogger with Omnia’s credentials. Read instructions about how to use Blogger in Finnish (it.omnia.fi).

After the mobility

Settle an appointment for the return meeting with your international expert as soon as you return to Finland.  
Return to the international office:

  • A copy of your signed and filled in (with written feedback) Training Agreement
  • Your freely formulated travel report (blog, vlog, PP-presentation or a Word document). Mail it to your international expert. Remember that it should include at least the following facts: the name of your learning at work company abroad, your most common work tasks, differences in work culture between Finland and your destination country, new things you learned (methods, tools…), problems you encountered at work and how you solved them, description of your preparation for your period and what would you change in case you did another period abroad

The best travel reports will be published on Omnialaiset maailmalle Facebook site.

Remember to choose suitable way of writing for your audience: the personnel of European Commission or the National Agency for Education might also be interested in your report. 

Also 

  • Fill in the Mobility Tool report for EU. You will get an invitation to do this report in your e-mail directly after your mobility period abroad. (Please note that the invitation comes from the address replies-will-be-disgarded@ec.europa.eu)
  • Make the second language test (Erasmus+ OLS test). The invitation to make this test will also be sent to your e-mail after you return to Finland from your mobility period.

Return all required reports and documents for your international expert within 14 days after your return. You can write your report either in English or in Finnish.

Be prepared to tell about your international experiences for the other Omnia students after the period.

You are welcome to participate in the tutor activities of Omnia for incoming international students.

After you have done all these and other specified obligations, Omnia will pay the rest 10 % of the grant (if there is any remaining after the compulsory costs) to your bank account.

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