6.2 A NEW JOB 134 The term originates from the French word stagiaire meaning trainee. Apprenticeship is also called traineeship. TYPES OF CONTRACTS, STAGES, AND INTERNSHIPS When applicants finally receive a job offer they decide to accept, they must be aware of what it involves on a variety of different levels. Types of contracts Different types of contracts may be offered to a worker; the most common are the following: Permanent contracts: when there is no set end date to the employment relationship; Temporary or seasonal contracts: when the employment relationship has a short, pre-defined duration; Fixed-term contracts: when the duration of the contract is linked to the completion of a specific task; Full-time contracts: when the worker will work a full workweek, usually 35 hours or more; Part-time contracts: when the worker will serve less than a full workweek; Freelance contract: when the worker will offer their services to the company while maintaining their occupational independency; ONLINE RESOURCES Erasmus+ traineeships agency work contract: contratto di lavoro somministrato contractor: contraente, fornitore maternity leave: congedo per maternità outsourced: esternalizzato to undertake: intraprendere vocational school: scuola professionale Agency work contracts: when the worker is employed by an agency that offers their services to the company which hired them (a sort of outsourced employee). An employee should also be aware that remote working could be required, and understand what this would involve and how it would be organised. Internship, stages and apprenticeship Internships, stages and apprenticeships are different ways in which young people who have just finished their studies, or are about to finish, can approach a working environment to gain some work experience or test their professional knowledge. An internship is a period of work experience, generally unpaid, offered by an organisation for a limited period of time, typically undertaken by students and graduates who want to gain relevant skills and experience in a particular field. A stage is a period of training when students from vocational schools learn a profession while continuing their course of study. In vocational schools, defined periods of stage are mandatory and are evaluated as part of the school curriculum. An apprenticeship is the way in which practitioners such as lawyers or doctors are enabled to gain a license to do their job. During apprenticeships, apprentices learn their profession by working for a professional who helps them develop the related skills. Gig economy and gig work Nowadays, the practice of offering ondemand work, services or goods i.e. a gig economy is expanding, and, with it, gig work. These temporary, freelance and fixed-term jobs offered to contractors (because they are not employed directly by the companies) are increasing rapidly to adapt to the evolution of technology, the flexibility required by new job positions, and the increased mobility of the workforce. 294 aT WorK Elettronica-Informatica.indb 294 25/01/24 16:10