The interest in the quality of traineeships has been regaining momentum in recent years. As in the aftermath of the financial and economic crisis, (quality) traineeships are seen as a valuable instrument to increase the flow from inactivity and unemployment to employment. This section analyses, mostly in chronological order, the main EU initiatives in this field along with the most relevant studies conducted by the EU institutions themselves or commissioned to third parties with the period considered encompassing the work of a decade (2012-2022).
The main objective of this study is to support the contracting authority – DG EMPL – in analysing and assessing the potential impacts of different policy options concerning the personal and material scope and content of a potential European initiative on quality traineeships. The study will support the Commission in assessing the impacts of options for improving the policy framework for quality traineeships in the EU. It will, therefore, have as an objective to cover the data and analytical needs of an impact assessment in line with the requirements of the Better Regulation Toolbox, notably:
► In line with the ‘evaluate first’ principle, build on the evidence-base and issues raised by the 2022 evaluation of the Quality Framework for Traineeships (QFT);
► Identify the main drivers, problems and their consequences;
► Develop a (quantified) baseline scenario on how the problem would evolve in the absence EU-level intervention (i.e. no policy response in the framework of this impact assessment study);
► Identify a range of policy options that could lead to an improvement in the quality of traineeships;
► Analyse the impacts of these policy options in comparison to the baseline scenario, notably through assessing the different benefits and costs associated with them;
