Being a Trainee in the Church of Sweden

Being a trainee is a way for you to discover what it is like to work in the Church of Sweden. The trainee program is a practical position that gives you, aged between 18 and 25, the opportunity to try working in the Church of Sweden while exploring your calling to serve in the church.

The trainee program allows you to experience various professions within the Church of Sweden for nine months, such as musician, deacon, priest, parish educator, and more. The program is designed to give you a chance to explore your calling and investigate whether the church could be a future workplace.

Work and Studies

As a trainee, you will work full-time and have at least one primary task, such as a choir, discussion group, or children's group that you will follow throughout the period. You will also have the opportunity to shadow different professional categories to see the breadth of the church's activities.

Are you curious about a specific profession? If so, please indicate this in your application, and you will have the chance to spend more time with that particular profession, whether it be musician, deacon, priest, or parish educator.

You will be placed in a work team in one of the parishes within Umeå pastorate that offers a trainee position, but parts of the tasks may also be common to the pastorate.

During the autumn semester, you will be offered to participate in four digital Bible discussions, and in the spring semester, you will take part in the Church of Sweden's basic course digitally via Älvsby folk high school. The tasks from the basic course can be completed during work hours.

Your Supervisor and Other Support

Your supervisor will be there for you throughout the trainee period, providing support and guidance. The supervisor has experience working in the Church of Sweden and will have time set aside for supervisory conversations. The supervisor will have regular discussions with you as a trainee. Together, you will create a schedule that also includes staff gatherings and similar activities. In the supervisory conversations, you will also have the opportunity to raise questions about faith, the church, and future service.

Umeå pastorate offers trainee positions in four of our parishes: Umeå City Parish, Umeå Rural Parish, Umeå Maria Parish, and Tegs Parish.

We are looking for you who

We are looking for someone between 18 and 25 years old who is or has been active in a parish in the Church of Sweden and is considering a future as a priest, deacon, educator, or musician. You are curious to learn more about the faith and life of the Church of Sweden. You have good social skills, the ability to collaborate, and enjoy working in a team. We place great emphasis on personal suitability. Membership in the Church of Sweden is a requirement for the position.

Application and Recruitment Process

We ask that you attach your CV and a personal letter to your application. In the letter, please tell us a little about who you are, how you came into contact with the church, and why you want to be part of the church community. Also, indicate if any of the four parishes are of particular interest to you.

After the application period has ended, we will invite candidates for interviews. Recruitment will be conducted through a standard selection process among the applicants, and the hope is that Umeå pastorate will be able to welcome four individuals to join the diocese's trainee program. A criminal record check is required upon employment.

The start date is September 1, 2026.

Welcome with your application by April 19.