Internship on Youth Employment and Meaningful Youth Engagement

Grade:Internship 

Publication date:15 April 2024
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time): 29 April 2024

Vacancy no.:

Job ID:11869 

Department:  EMPLOYMENT
Organization Unit:  EMPLAB
Location:Geneva, Switzerland  
Duration of contract: 3 to 6 months (starting on the 1st or the 15th of a given month)

You are applying to the ILO generic internship roster, which is published several times per year. The roster will be made available to all departments and field offices, which will then select and directly contact suitable candidates. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, the ILO does not inform candidates about the status of their application. 

ILO Internship Programme provides an opportunity for talented individuals to:

(a) increase understanding of relevant issues at the international level by involving them directly in the work of the Office and the application of ILO principles, programmes and strategies;

(b) gain practical experience with the ILO directly related to their field of study.

The internship programme is not intended to lead to a career in the ILO. There should be no expectation of further employment at the end of the internship.

**Please note that you can apply to a maximum of three internship profiles during the current application period. If you apply to more than three internship profiles, your application will not be considered for any profile.** Note that you may withdraw your candidature at any time via the Jobs Applied section of your profile.

It is highly recommended that you submit your application as soon as possible to avoid last minute technical issues or delays. Late applications will not be considered.

The ILO values diversity. We welcome applications from candidates, particularly from non- or under- represented member States from the following countries: https://jobs.ilo.org/content/Non--and-under-represented-member-States/?locale=en_GB

Qualified candidates from those countries may be eligible for a special fund that provides financial assistance for round-trip airfare (economy class) in addition to the stipend.

The ILO also encourages applications of persons with disabilities. If needed, reasonable accommodation will be provided to candidates with disabilities in the recruitment phase as well as during the internship to promote equality of opportunities. For assistance, please send an e-mail to internship@ilo.org

IMPORTANT:
Please only apply for an internship if you fulfil the following two criteria:

(1) You have no close relative serving in the ILO.

(2) This is your first internship with the ILO (only one internship is permitted).

The intern will join the team of the Youth Employment Accelerator Group (YOUTH), located within the Employment, Labour Markets and Youth Branch (EMPLAB), of the Employment Policy Department (EMPLOYMENT).

EMPLOYMENT is responsible for promoting full and productive employment by developing integrated employment, development and skills policies that maximize the employment impact of economic growth, investment and development and which are inclusive, gender sensitive, productive and sustainable. It delivers on its mandate through work in three Branches: EMPLAB, Skills and Employability Branch, and the Employment and Investment Branch.

EMPLAB has the primary responsibility for supporting constituents for better employment outcomes, including for youth, based on the normative guidelines of the Employment Policy Convention (C122). The Branch develops and advocates for integrated global and country employment policy frameworks, builds knowledge on employment and labour market policies, facilitates tripartite policy dialogue on employment promotion, and supports policy development and implementation by strengthening relevant labour market institutions and building capacities of constituents. EMPLAB is composed of three technical units, namely: Employment Analyses and Economic Policies Unit, Employment Strategies for Inclusive Transformation Unit, and Labour Market Services for Transitions Unit, along with two groups, YOUTH and Gender in Employment.

YOUTH promotes and positions ILO’s work on youth employment in the international context, including in connection to the 2030 Agenda; coordinates the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth and enhances country level action and impact in consultation with other Units; furthers research, knowledge development and dissemination, including through the YouthForesight Knowledge Facility; serves as focal point for external youth development partnerships; and provides expertise on measurement and assessment of youth labour market policies, projects and programmes. It advocates for ILO’s agenda on youth employment and mobilises resources for work on youth.

The internship is to support the YOUTH Group in implementing the Opportunity Fund on Advancing Young People’s Engagement and Meaningful Participation in the PROSPECTS Partnership. The objective is to empower and meaningfully engage young people in forced displacement contexts so that they develop their skills and confidence to lead socio-economic and cultural activities, start an enterprise, address protection concerns, volunteer in their communities, advocate on issues that are important to them, and provide input to programming, including PROSPECTS.

The Opportunity Fund is jointly implemented with UNICEF and UNHCR under the umbrella of the ILO’s PROSPECTS Partnership funded by the Dutch Government and operating in eight countries in two regions: MENA and the Horn of Africa. The ILO’s vision within the Partnership is to strengthen decent work in countries impacted by forced displacement to mitigate stress factors at all levels and support inclusive socioeconomic enablers for access to labour markets and empowerment of host communities and of forcibly displaced populations. The Opportunity Fund objectives will be achieved through two main outcome areas:

1. Empowering young people with skills to be effective partners and to lead and drive change in their communities and their lives
2. Strengthening PROSPECTS partners’ skills and capacities to achieve meaningful engagement of young people

You will join the YOUTH team at the ILO, with a focus on supporting (i) the implementation of the project/initiative on Advancing Young People’s Engagement and Meaningful Participation in the PROSPECTS Partnership (ii) technical work on youth employment issues, particularly in fragile and forced displacement settings.

You will be working under the supervision of the Senior Youth Employment Specialist and receive guidance from the Youth Employment and Engagement Officer who is responsible for the overall implementation of the initiative on Advancing Young People’s Engagement and Meaningful Participation in the PROSPECTS Partnership.

As an intern in the YOUTH team, your roles and responsibilities will include the following:

• Support the day-to-day management and implementation of the project, in close coordination and collaboration with the ILO country colleagues in Ethiopia, Iraq and Uganda
• Provide technical inputs in the implementation of project activities such as the Job Search Clubs and Youth-to-Youth Fund model in Ethiopia and Uganda
• Support the organization of global, regional and country level events of the project/initiative, particularly knowledge-sharing webinars
• Support the design and implementation of the Global Campaign on Youth Rights at Work, with a focus on forcibly displaced youth
• Contribute to the collection and documentation of good practices and lessons learnt in promoting meaningful youth engagement and youth employment in forced displacement contexts
• Participate in global inter-agency working groups with a view to share ILO’s ongoing work on meaningful youth engagement and youth employment
• Provide communications support to ensure visibility for the work of the project/initiative on Advancing Young People’s Engagement and Meaningful Participation in the PROSPECTS Partnership

As an intern in the YOUTH team, you will gain experience on the following areas:

• Designing and implementing youth employment interventions, particularly with a focus on forcibly displaced youth
• What works to boost employment opportunities of young people;
• Engagement with multiple stakeholders, from the UN system to governments, social partners and companies;
• Use of career development and project management tools; and
• Communication skills and facilitation techniques.

Interns should expect to devote 10% to 20% of their time to administrative tasks.

A time-bound work plan will be agreed between the intern and her/his supervisor in the first month of the assignment. The implementation of the workplan will be supported by regular one-on-one weekly meetings between the intern and the supervisor as well as weekly meetings with the YOUTH team. The intern will also participate in monthly coordination/sharing meetings of EMPLAB.

Based on the professional and career development objectives of the intern, s/he will work with the supervisor in identifying training opportunities and other avenues to gain exposure to various thematic discussions and frontier issues connected to the mission of the ILO.

University degree in economics, development studies or the equivalent in social sciences. The candidate should be enrolled in their final year of graduate degree programme or should have completed such a programme no longer than 1 years ago.

Good drafting skills are necessary. Familiarity with youth employment issues and interventions either though education or work experience will be an advantage. Knowledge and experience implementing development cooperation projects will be an advantage. Conversant with IT practices and working tools. 

Excellent command of English (both oral and written). Good knowledge of French or Spanish is an advantage.

Adaptable to an international, multicultural and multilingual environment, good communication skills and the ability to work in a team. Proactive and takes initiative.

Good knowledge of Microsoft Office. Experience with communications and social media is an advantage.

How to apply:

1. Search for an internship profile via the page on ILO Jobs 

2. Select the internship profile you would like to apply for, and create a profile on ILO Jobs 

3. Complete your candidate profile and apply to the internship profile

4. Be sure to attach a cover letter in the last section of the application, as applications without a cover letter will not be considered and you cannot attach a cover letter after the deadline. 

Selection process:

Following a first screening by the Human Resources Development Department (HRD), hiring departments will short-list applicants. You will be directly contacted should an internship opportunity match your profile. If you have not been contacted by any department within six months after your application, you can consider that you have not been selected by any department for this roster. If still eligible, you may apply to the next roster. 

If shortlisted, you may be contacted by the hiring department for a written test and/or interview. The ILO may use communication technologies such as Skype, Video or teleconference, e-mail, etc for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Stipend:

As an intern in Geneva, you will receive a stipend of 2450 CHF per month from the ILO, unless you receive funding through another institution (for example your university or a foundation). If you receive partial funding, ILO will cover the difference to ensure you receive 2450 CHF per month. Your travel to Geneva will be at your own expense.
In addition to the amounts referred above, each intern shall receive the amount of CHF45 per month, or the equivalent amount in the currency in which the monthly stipend is paid, which is a contribution from the Office towards the cost of medical insurance to cover the period of the internship.

Insurance:

Please note that the ILO does not take responsibility for any costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the internship. You will be responsible for your own insurance coverage for illness and accidents for the duration of the internship at the duty station (whether Geneva or the field).

Fraud warning:

The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account - @ilo.org - should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.