Work experience agreements
Some employers request a Convention de Stage or training agreement when offering an internship or period of work experience.
Please note that the following information is only relevant to registered University of York students; we are unable to provide graduates with any of the documentation outlined on this page. Graduates should refer to the University’s ‘request official documents’ information if your employer has requested university-related information from you.
A Convention de Stage is a tripartite agreement between a student, their host organisation and home university for work placements in France and some other European countries. If you have secured a work experience opportunity outside of the UK, the host employer may request that both you and the University of York complete a Convention de Stage, or similar agreement, before the role can begin. Please read the following scenarios to understand the University’s policy and position with regards to such requests.
Scenario 1: “I have secured a work experience opportunity and have been informed by the organisation that the University needs to sign a training agreement / Convention de Stage document in order for me to be able to complete the opportunity. The organisation has provided the agreement letter for the University to sign.”
Are you completing an opportunity that will provide you with academic credit as an approved part of your degree?
Yes:
- It is important that the University understands the terms and conditions within the agreement, if this has been provided by the organisation.
- You should contact your department’s administration team or your personal supervisor to review the agreement wording; they are likely to seek guidance from the University’s Legal team, which may take time. This procedure is in place to protect you and the University from any adverse liabilities.
- The decision as to whether or not the University of York accepts to be a signatory of the document is entirely at the discretion of the University.
- If the decision is made not to sign an agreement provided by the organisation the University may be able to produce a Tripartite Agreement for you; this recognises that the opportunity is credit-bearing and ensures that the experience is based on a learning agreement which is validated in advance of the opportunity by the University of York, host organisation and you.
- Your department can liaise with careers-placements
@york.ac.uk in order to access a template of this document, however the document should ultimately be completed with, and processed by, your department.
No:
- The University is only able to sign Convention de Stage documents when the experience forms part of academic studies. This decision is in place to protect you and the University from any adverse liabilities.
- If you are undertaking an opportunity on an extracurricular basis you can request a confirmation of study letter through e:vision; this often satisfies the employer that you are both a student and will be returning to study rather than being a full time employee. As this letter simply confirms that you are a student it is quick to produce and is our preferred option.
- If this is not suitable for the employer, the University may be able to produce a bespoke Student Opportunity Agreement for you; this is a similar style of document to a Convention de Stage which sets out the University’s position in relation to the experience. You can request this document by emailing careers-placements
@york.ac.uk . Please provide details of the terms and conditions of the experience that you intend to complete, including a job description and an offer letter/email from the employer, and submit this information at least 4 weeks before the experience is due to begin. - Please be aware that the University of York’s Student Opportunity Agreement does not cover insurance; it is your responsibility to check and ensure that you are appropriately insured for the duration of the experience.
Scenario 2: “I have secured a work experience opportunity and have been informed by the organisation that the University needs to sign a training agreement / Convention de Stage document in order for me to be able to complete the opportunity. The organisation has asked that the University produce this agreement letter.”
Are you completing an opportunity that will provide you with academic credit as an approved part of your degree?
Yes:
- The University may be able to produce a Tripartite Agreement for you; this recognises that the opportunity is credit-bearing and ensures that the experience is based on a learning agreement, which is validated in advance of the opportunity by the University of York, host organisation and you.
- Your department can liaise with careers-placements
@york.ac.uk in order to access a template of this document, however the document should ultimately be completed with, and processed by, your department.
No:
- The University may be able to produce an Student Opportunity Agreement for you; this is a similar style of document to a Convention de Stage which sets out the University’s position in relation to the experience. You can request this document by emailing careers-placements
@york.ac.uk ; please provide details of the terms and conditions of the experience that you intend to complete, including a job description and an offer letter/email from the employer, and submit this information at least 4 weeks before the experience is due to begin. - It is important to be aware that it is your responsibility to ensure that adequate insurance is in place for the duration of your experience, and that you obtain any visas that are required.
You should be aware that you may be asked to sign a work experience agreement or internship statement as a party. You may choose to seek legal advice on this. Advice can be obtained from:
- a solicitor; solicitors will sometimes offer some initial free advice but if you need anything further you will need to pay and this can be expensive. Always ask for a costs estimate up front before getting the advice. The Law Society has a Find a Solicitor tool.
- Baroness Hale Legal Clinic on campus
- Citizens Advice