LAB Career Spark is a subsidy meant to ease our students' employment and to support their integration into working life outside their home country.

The subsidy is admitted to a student when the student and the internship employer fulfill the terms. The student applies for the subsidy, and the subsidy is paid directly to the employer after the internship period. In practice, with the subsidy university covers part of the wage costs of the internship. LAB University of Applied Sciences reserves a yearly budget for the subsidy and the subsidies will be granted in the order of application.

The amount of the subsidy is not depending on the salary you get. It is always a fixed amount that is paid to the employer:

💶 1 month internship 600 €

💶 2 months internship 1200 €

💶 3 months Internships 1800 €

How to apply the subsidy?

-First, find a suitable internship position. When applying for positions and approaching employers, mention to employers that you can apply for the LAB Career Spark internship subsidy. If you need support with your job search, remember to utilize Career Services support (more information here).

-Contact your internship coordinator/ supervisor and ensure that you can include the internship in your studies.

-Fill out the application form here. You will get the decision by email in five weekdays.

-Before the job starts, sign a written contract of employment with your employer.

-Enjoy your work and integrate into a new working culture!

-After the working period, remember to apply for the approval of your internship.

You can apply for LAB Career Spark subsidy if:

-You are having your Candidate's or master’s studies at LAB University of Applied Sciences as a degree student, and you are present the whole time of your internship’s work period.

- For international students, the internship is in Finland; for Finnish nationals, it’s abroad.

-You will include the internship in your LAB degree. That is approved beforehand by the internship coordinator/ supervisor.

- You have not previously received LAB Career Spark support during the same degree, and you will not receive any other mobility support from LAB for the same work period.

-Your studies have progressed according to plan, and you will be able to graduate within the target schedule regardless of the work period.

…and the employer & work-related terms are:

-The employer can be any organization, except the student's own company or private person

-The work must be in-office or hybrid.

The employer can be LUT university or LAB university of applied sciences.

-The work period must be paid and the minimum wage paid to the student must be no less than 1430 €/month (work requirement minimum wage in 2025).

-A written work agreement must be signed between the employer and the student.

-The internship can be either full-time or part-time. However, the total amount of work must correspond to at least one month of full-time work. The internship period can be longer, but please note that it does not affect the amount of the subsidy.

-The employer offers proper guidance to internship and observes labor laws and collective labor agreement if there is one.

More information about the subsidy: careerservices@lut.fi  or Mays Sweidan Mays.Sweidan@lut.fi