Recruit a student

The University of Turku can support the salary costs of an intern. The internship subsidy is granted to the student and paid to the employer. It is a lump sum of €1,800 per internship, regardless of the internship’s duration.

All degree students* of the University of Turku can use the subsidy once during their studies. The subsidy is granted before the internship begins in the Internship Commitment (see below), and the employer invoices the university after the internship has ended.

If you need the university’s support to cover the intern’s salary costs, you can mention this in the internship announcement or discuss it with the student you are hiring.

Criteria for the internship subsidy:

• The intern is paid a salary according to the applicable collective agreement (or at least the full-time minimum wage that meets Kela’s employment condition, €1,463/month in 2026). Universities do not publish unpaid internships positions.
• The internship lasts 3-6 months (2-6 months in some faculties). It is usually full-time work, but part-time work is also possible. In that case, both the salary and the total duration must correspond to full-time work, e.g. 60% working time → internship of at least 5 months.
• The tasks correspond to the student’s field of study and develop the student’s expertise.
• The intern has a supervisor at the workplace.
• The internship subsidy has been applied for before the internship begins.

Students apply for the subsidy from their faculty once the internship position has been confirmed, and the use of the subsidy is recorded in the Internship Commitment (see below). Invoicing information is sent by email after the employer has signed the Internship Commitment.

*Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students. The subsidy cannot be used for internships within the University of Turku, clinical training in medicine and dentistry, or teaching practice in teacher education.

Before the internship begins, the employer and the intern sign a fixed-term employment contract. In addition, an Internship Commitment is made between the employer, the student and the university. The commitment is completed and signed electronically.

Completing the commitment

1. The student initiates the commitment form.
2. The person responsible for the internship at the workplace receives a link by email and fills in the internship details.
3. The form is forwarded to the faculty for approval.
4. The form is forwarded to the student for signing.
5. The form is forwarded to the employer for signing.
6. All parties receive the completed commitment by email.

If the employer uses the university’s internship subsidy (see above), please note that the subsidy cannot be invoiced without a commitment signed by all parties. The subsidy also cannot be applied for after the internship has begun. We recommend completing the commitment before the internship starts.

Logging in to the form

The link to the form is sent to the person responsible for the internship, whose contact details the student has entered in the form. The person responsible must log in using one of the following methods:

• As Other user: the first time, Suomi.fi identification is required. You then create your own PIN code and confirm the login with a code sent to your email.
  • On later logins, use your PIN code and the confirmation code sent to your email.
• With HAKA: requires that you have given your HAKA to the student, who has entered it in the form’s contact details.
• With UTU username: for internal internships at the University of Turku, log in with your own UTU credentials.

The Contact person is the person who fills in the form. They can nominate a different signatory, in which case the signature request is sent to the signatory. The signatory logs in as another user and identifies themselves with Suomi.fi IDs.

The intern should be onboarded and introduced to the organisation’s operating principles, the industry and other practical matters. The introduction should cover not only tasks and systems but also the work community and the organisation. For example, you can arrange meetings or conversations between the intern and colleagues other than the supervisor. Where suitable, the intern can also attend meetings that are not directly related to their tasks but help them understand the organisation and how it works.

The intern must always have a designated supervisor at the workplace who is familiar with the intern’s tasks. A good internship means the supervisor commits to introducing the intern, guiding them throughout the internship and evaluating how their skills develop. A substitute should be named for the supervisor for holidays and other longer absences.

Onboarding checklist

• Prepare the necessary equipment (computers etc.)
• Request access rights to the necessary systems and premises
• Go through the work tasks with the intern
• Go through the workplace’s practices with the intern
• Go through the practices related to working hours and sick leave
• Reserve time for the intern to get to know the work community and the organisation through conversation
• Agree on communication related to the internship, and tell the intern where and how to get help or ask for advice in problem situations
• Review the tasks with the intern at the beginning, middle and end of the internship (agree on meeting times in advance): goals, progress, working methods
• Encourage the intern to give feedback and be open to receiving it

The intern must always be given a certificate of employment that specifies the tasks they have carried out. Towards the end of the internship, the intern and supervisor should reserve time for a final discussion to go through the main contents of the internship and assess whether the goals were achieved. The intern should receive feedback on what went well and also on what they still have to develop. The intern must also be given an opportunity to give feedback to the employer.

The intern is always in an employment or public-service relationship with the employer, who pays the salary for the entire internship. Once the internship position is confirmed, the employer and the student draw up a fixed-term contract of employment using the employer’s contract template.

• The employment relationship can be either an employment contract or a public-service (civil-service) relationship.
• The employer is responsible for the intern in accordance with the Employment Contracts Act and other employer obligations.

The contract must state, for example, the duration of the internship, daily working hours and the salary to be paid. The intern has the same rights and obligations as other employees.

Main contents of the contract

• Parties to the contract
• Start date of the employment
• Duration of the contract and the grounds for the fixed term (internship)
• The employee’s main duties
• Applicable collective agreement
• Salary, other compensation and pay period
• Working hours
• Annual leave
• Notice period
• Holiday bonus
• Sick pay

Holiday

The intern accrues holiday days in accordance with the collective agreement or public-service collective agreement followed by the workplace, usually two days for each full holiday-credit month.

Insurance during internships

• A student who is paid during the internship is covered by the employer’s (the salary payer’s) statutory occupational accident insurance.
• If the internship is unpaid, the student is covered by student accident insurance only if the internship meets the conditions defined in the Student Accident Act.

Liability (and possible liability insurance) rests primarily with the organisation where the intern’s work is guided and supervised.