Secretariat of the Committee on Culture and Education

The Directorate-General for Citizens' Rights, Justice and Institutional Affairs (DG IUST) organises and facilitates the work of parliamentary committees in key areas such as culture, education, legal and constitutional affairs, gender equality, civil liberties, petitions and democracy protection. Through high-quality research, expert advice, and administrative support, DG IUST enables Members and committees to shape sound legislative and policy outcomes.

As one of the European Parliament’s standing committees, the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) is responsible for:

• The cultural aspects of the European Union, and in particular: (a) improving the knowledge and dissemination of culture, (b) the protection and promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity, and (c) the conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage, cultural exchanges and artistic creation;
• The Union’s education policy, including the European higher education area, the promotion of the system of European Schools, and lifelong learning;
• Audiovisual policy and the cultural and educational aspects of the information society;
• Youth policy 
• The development of a sports and leisure policy;
• Information and media policy;
• Cooperation with third countries in the areas of culture and education and relations with the relevant international organisations and institutions.

As an integral part of the Directorate-General for Citizens' Rights, Justice and Institutional Affairs (DG IUST), the Secretariat is in charge of organising the work of the CULT Committee and assisting Members in the exercise and development of the Parliament’s legislative, budgetary and oversight powers.
In particular, the work of the Secretariat involves:

• Providing independent expertise and (policy) advice to the Committee and in particular its Chair;
• Assisting Members in drafting legislative and non-legislative reports and opinions;
• Organising and following up on Committee and Coordinators’ meetings, working groups, delegations and public hearings;
• Preparing information notes, speaking notes and letters for the Chair of the Committee and the President of the Parliament;
• Establishing and maintaining contacts with other Parliament services and other public bodies;
• Maintaining and further developing the relations with research institutes, universities, national parliaments, and IGOs/NGOs.

During your five-month traineeship – throughout which you will be actively mentored by an experienced supervisor – you will be assigned a wide spectrum of assignments, allowing you to gain in-depth insights into the work and procedures of the European Parliament and the Committee on Culture and Education in particular, as well as hands-on experience in working in a multicultural and multilingual environment. You will join our committee and be able to contribute to our work at a key moment when the future of EU programmes under CULT remit (such as Erasmus + and other) is being discussed. Your tasks will be both administrative-organisational and analytical and will include:

• Background research in the area of education and youth, as well as other areas of CULT’s competence mentioned above);
• Assisting in preparing briefings, background documents and other policy-relevant papers;
• Assisting in organising committee meetings, public hearings and other events and activities related to the work of the CULT Committee;
• Compilation of relevant literature and sources for various legislative dossiers;
• Assisting in preparing official letters;
• Formatting, editing and proofreading of different texts;
• Assisting in drafting legislative, non-legislative texts and voting lists.

• A motivated and open-minded university graduate with a profound interest in one or more of the areas of competence of the CULT Committee, with a special focus on education and , eager to get a comprehensive picture of both the political and administrative life in the European Parliament;
• Committed and ready to engage in a mentored traineeship requiring not only a high level of independence and responsibility, but also critical thinking and judgement;
• Interested in analytical work and research and keen to contribute to European policy-making as part of a welcoming team that looks forward to actively involving you in its work. Experience as a beneficiary of EU-funded programmes under the CULT remit (e.g. Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps, etc.) and/or volunteering experience in CULT-related areas are appreciated but not considered a pre-requisite;
• Your personal skills should encompass accuracy, reliability, adaptability, versatility and a sense of organization. You have a clear sense of responsibility and professional conscientiousness as well as thorough knowledge of English, both spoken and written.#

The European Parliament is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We welcome all candidates, regardless of their geographical, racial or ethnic origin, political or religious beliefs, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, civil status, or family situation.