Alternatives to the Traditional Training Placement

Placement Abroad

Trainee architects can complete all or a part of their training placement abroad. You will need to request permission from the Order of Architects for a training placement abroad. Your mentor abroad must meet the same criteria as a Belgian mentor. The mentor must have practised the profession of architect for at least ten years. 

A training placement abroad will be considered in six-month periods. Should you wish to complete another six-month placement abroad, you must apply for an extension of your foreign placement. As part of the application you will be required to provide a portfolio covering the last six months. 

The provincial council will then decide whether to accept your request for an extension. In this way, the entire training can be completed abroad. A request for an extension must be made before the end of the last month.

Documents Required

Alongside the documents required for regular entry to the list of trainees, we request several other documents for a foreign placement: 

• proof that the intended mentor is an architect;
• the curriculum vitae of the intended mentor;
• list of Belgian trainees who have already had a placement there (if applicable);
• recent documentation on the firm and its composition.

The placement abroad must be in an architectural firm at which conditions similar to those in Belgium are applied for acceptance on a training placement. 

Placement Outside an Architectural Firm

A training placement outside an architectural firm is possible if the workplace activities relate directly to the activities of an architect and are limited to six months. Permission from the provincial council must also be sought in advance. 

Unsure whether a particular company qualifies for a placement outside an architectural firm? Contact the Team Stage at stage@ordevanarchitecten.be.

Trainee Supervisor and Mentor

In the workplace, you will be supervised by a training supervisor. Alongside this training supervisor, a mentor (architect, registered on the mentor list) must be appointed to remotely supervise your training placement outside an architectural firm. This mentor need not work at the company at which you intend to complete the training placement. If you cannot find a mentor yourself, your provincial council can designate a mentor for you. You are not permitted to take on personal assignments during the placement of this type.

A training placement outside an architectural firm can be commenced immediately or after a training period of at least 6 months. The advantage of commencing this placement at the beginning of training is that the experience gained could be useful during the rest of the placement. Furthermore, it is followed by a large, continuous block of traditional training that should offer thorough preparation for the transition to the architectural profession.