From 5th to 7th November 2025, Eurhonet welcomed seven young professionals to Brussels for the second edition of its Early Careers Programme, designed to deepen their understanding of European housing and EU policy-making.
Discovering Eurhonet and Brussels
The first day activities of the Early Careers Programme 2025 focused on providing context on Eurhonet and Brussels as the capital of Europe and EU affairs. The programme started with the introduction of the participants and their companies through presentations they had to prepare beforehand.
Then, our Director General, Alessandro Cesale, provided them with a short overview of Eurhonet, highlighting its work. He also presented the multiple opportunities for collaboration and staff development that exist.
Afterwards, the focus shifted to Brussels: participants had the chance to discover the secrets of the capital through a guided tour in the city centre.
Insights into EU Policy making
The second day was aimed at providing some insights into EU policy making. The day kicked off with a brief introduction regarding the history of the EU and its institutions, followed by a guided visit to the European Parliament.
To learn more about the European housing landscape we received the visit of Alice Pittini, Research Director at Housing Europe. She provided context on the association’s work and outlined key housing trends identified. Their recently released report State of Housing in Europe 2025 is available here.
During the afternoon, participants explored further the history of the EU neighbourhood in Brussels.
They learned more about how the main institutions’ buildings came to be.
Visit to European and Topic Group Engagement
The third day began with a guided visit to the European Council. There, we discovered another stepping stone of EU policy making.
After the visit, circling back to Eurhonet’s work, we connected with Dragana Curovic, Social Integration Topic Group leader. She highlighted the key aspects of the work of the group and invited participants to join in future occasions.
The programme closed with an open discussion on the aspects of the three days that participants enjoyed or would improve for future editions.
Looking ahead
We thank all participants for their contributions and enthusiasm. We look forward to welcoming new talents in the next edition.
Experience the programme – watch our video!
About the Early Careers Programme
Eurhonet’s Early Careers Programme is a 3-day annual training held in Brussels for trainees and young professionals. It offers workshops, seminars and study visits, including to the European Parliament and the European Council, to build skills, understand EU policymaking and explore the European housing landscape.
By bringing together a small group from different member organisations, the programme strengthens knowledge exchange, supports network building and helps attract new talent to the public and social housing sector.
