The European HPC Professional Traineeship Programme (HPCTRAIN), an EU-wide project funded by EuroHPC and the European Commission, has taken another major step towards strengthening HPC skills in Europe with the opening of its first traineeship opportunities as well as its continuous call for organisations wishing to host future trainee placements. Together, they mark the beginning of a growing European network that will connect emerging talent with real-world HPC environments across research and industry.
The European HPC Professional Traineeship Programme (HPCTRAIN) has reached an important milestone with the publication of its first traineeship opportunities, providing students, graduates and early-career professionals with direct access to hands-on experience in some of Europe’s leading high-performance computing (HPC) environments. At the same time, organisations across Europe are being invited to contribute to the programme by offering future traineeship placements through HPCTRAIN’s ongoing host call.
This marks an important step for HPCTRAIN as it now starts to lay the pathways that will connect emerging talent with the organisations driving Europe’s digital future. Over the next four years, the programme will support around 200 structured traineeships, helping to develop the advanced digital skills needed across HPC, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Computing (QC).
First opportunities now available
The first wave of these HPCTRAIN placements, with a cut-off date of 1 September 2026, shows the wide range of opportunities available across Europe’s HPC ecosystem. Hosted by leading supercomputing centres, universities and research organisations, the traineeships span areas including HPC operations, software development, scientific computing, AI integration, research support and advanced computing applications.
Each placement is designed to provide three to six months of practical experience within a professional HPC environment, enabling participants to develop technical expertise while working alongside experienced researchers, engineers and HPC specialists on real-world challenges.
As additional organisations join the programme, new traineeship opportunities will continue to be published, giving applicants access to an expanding range of placements across Europe.
An open invitation to future hosts
Alongside the publication of these first trainee placements, HPCTRAIN has also opened its continuous call for organisations interested in becoming traineeship hosts.
The call invites applications from HPC centres, universities, research organisations, public bodies, companies, SMEs and start-ups that can provide meaningful professional placements centred on HPC. While projects may also involve AI or Quantum Computing, HPC must remain the core focus, ensuring trainees gain substantial experience with HPC systems, software, services or applications.
Hosting organisations play a central role in strengthening Europe’s HPC workforce by providing supervised, real-world learning environments where trainees can apply their academic knowledge while developing the practical skills sought by employers across research and industry.
The call remains open until 31 December 2028, allowing time for organisations to submit opportunities as they arise and helping HPCTRAIN build a continually expanding portfolio of high-quality placements across the European HPC landscape.
Strengthening Europe’s HPC talent pipeline
The HPCTRAIN project has been created to help address Europe’s growing demand for HPC expertise by bridging the gap between education and employment. By combining structured professional traineeships with collaboration between academia, industry and Europe’s leading supercomputing centres, the programme supports the development of the next generation of HPC professionals while helping organisations access new talent and strengthen their own capabilities.
As more hosting organisations join the initiative and new placements become available, HPCTRAIN will continue to expand opportunities for talented individuals seeking careers in one of Europe’s most strategically important digital technology sectors.
Students, graduates and early-career professionals interested in applying for current opportunities can explore the latest traineeships through the HPCTRAIN website HERE.
Organisations wishing to host future placements can submit proposals through the open HPCTRAIN host call HERE.