Grade: Internship
Publication date: 03 December 2024
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time): 24 December 2024
Vacancy no.: INT/PRETORIA/GS/2024/01
Job ID: 12563
Department: RO-Africa
Organization Unit: DWT/CO-Pretoria
Location: Pretoria
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 qualified women and men, particularly those with disabilities and from non- or under- represented member States. If you are unable to complete our online application form due to a disability, please send an email to ilojobs@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).
Required profile
Internship position is located in the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa and Country Office for South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini (DWT/CO Pretoria). The DWT/CO- Pretoria provides high-quality, timely and integrated technical support to Country Offices under its geographical competence in the design, implementation and monitoring of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) and United Nationals Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCFs).
Strengthening national social protection systems features prominently in DWCPs of countries under DWT-CO Pretoria, in strategies of regional economic commissions such as East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development (SADC) and continental frameworks chiefly the Abijan Declaration โAdvancing Social Justice: Shaping the Future of work in Africaโ and the African Unionโs Protocol the African Charter on Human and Peopleโs Rights on the Rights of Citizens to Social Protection and Social Securityโ and the Africa Regional Social Protection Strategy (2021-2025). ILO supports constituents to align national legal and policy frameworks as well as practice with both regional and global initiatives: ILOโs Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All, the 2021Conclusions of the Second Recurrent Discussion on Social Protection (social security) with tis follow-up Plan of Action on Social Protection 2021-26, and the UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, ILO is implementing Global Ratification Campaign on Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952, No.12 to bring the number of ratification to 70 by 2026.
To this end DWT/CO Pretoria provides policy advice and technical assistance on social protection to tripartite constituents in order to re-shape and strengthen national social protection systems aiming at ensuring that more people have access to better managed, comprehensive, more adequate and gender equitable social protection benefits. It does so, by working on following key areas:
- Provision of technical input, policy advisory services for the design and implementation of social protection policies, strategies and actional plans that are consistent with ILOโs work at country level, guided by international social security standards;
- Planning, coordination, conducting and documentation of implementation of sub-regional strategies and activities on social protection;
- Supporting evidence building of impact of social protection on poverty reduction; resilience building on individual level, as well as social, economic and fiscal impacts of social protection;
- Designing, implementing, supporting and documenting practices and innovative case examples of extending social protection to informal workers
- Provision of expert advice towards ratification of ILO social security standards.
- Organisation and delivery of training workshops for tripartite constituents.
Learning areas
Under the supervision of Social Protection Specialist in ILO DWT/CO Pretoria the intern will support work on social protection through focus on promotion and implementation of Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012, No. 202 Recommendation supporting Transition form Informal to Formal Economy, 2015 No 204
More specifically, the intern will engage in the following three areas:
1) Awareness raising, communication and international events
- Assist in preparing workshop and other events on social protection and extension of social protection to workers in informal economy.
- Assist in developing communication materials about ILOโs work on social protection in Eastern and Southern Africa including on social media. Drafting human interest stories (focusing on social protection, extension of coverage and inclusion of persons with disabilities) and news items for ILO website.
- Assist in preparing background documents (support identification of good practice examples, quantitative and qualitative evidence) for presentation at regional and subregional events and conferences.
2) Policy advice, development cooperation and capacity development
- Contribute to documenting and disseminating lessons learned and good practice examples undertaken by tripartite constituents and/or ILO related to ratification of social security conventions, pension reforms, extension of social protection coverage to workers in informal economy and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
- Assist in developing and finalising training materials and guidelines for capacity development of tripartite constituents on social protection.
- Assist in conducting mapping of types of pension reforms in Eastern and Southern Africa.
3) UN and Multilateral Collaboration
- Support preparation of information for meetings of UN Results groups on social protection in UNCTs for South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho; participate in meetings; draft clear and concise meeting minutes and support with follow up actions
- Document lessons learnt regarding initiation of UN Joint Programmes promoting implementation of interventions on UN Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions (UN GA) in Pathfinder countries: Namibia and Malawi; support information sharing with countries expressing interest UN GA in two sub-regions
Education
โข Education: Currently enrolled in the last year of a graduate degree (Master or higher) or having completed such a programme in the year preceding the application in one or more of the following, or similar, disciplines: economy; social and political science; development studies international relations,
Experience
First field experiences in developing countries, including in the area of social protection or social development
Languages
Working knowledge of English (oral and written); command of French and/or Portugise will be an asset
Competencies
Ability to synthesise information about topic from different sources and present it in a clear manner. Adaptable to an international, multicultural and multilingual environment, good communication skills, and be able to work in a team.
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), field offices 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 or field office within six months after your application, you can consider that you have not been selected for this roster. If still eligible, you may apply to the next roster.
If shortlisted, you may be contacted by the field office 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 the field, you will receive a monthly stipend from the ILO based on the cost of living in the area of the duty station, 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 the appropriate stipend per month. Your travel to the duty station will be at your own expense.
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.