Intern on UNFPA Youth Programmes

Title of the position: Intern on UNFPA Youth Programmes

Branch / Section / Project / Program: United Nations Population Fund, Population and Development portfolio

Reports to: UNFPA Moldova, Ludmila Sirbu, Programme Analyst on Youth

Duration and Period of Internship: 6 months with possible extension up to 9 months

Weekly workload (hours/week): up to 20 hours per week, with flexible arrangements

Background

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s Strategic Plan for 2022-2025 focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. In the Republic of Moldova, UNFPA is implementing its fourth Country Programme for 2023-2027, which is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023 – 2027 for the Republic of Moldova. We work with government institutions, donors, civil society organizations, the private sector, communities, and individuals to make this possible and bring positive changes in the lives of people.

Over the last years, UNFPA supported the Ministry of Education and Research in integrating comprehensive sexuality education into optional and mandatory school curricula and increasing the quality of its provision through capacity building of teachers, developing interactive and digital learning materials, and creating a youth-friendly and supportive environment in schools. Significant results have been also achieved in advancing youth participation and civic engagement through investments in the Network of Youth Centers, supporting central and public authorities in strategic planning and implementation of youth policies and programs, and empowering young people to become active agents of change in their communities. UNFPA has a strong commitment to continue supporting the government in further advancement of youth life skills development and youth participation in the country and is currently implementing a series of programmes under the Adolescents and Youth Portfolio to serve this purpose.

The announced internship position comes as a measure to enable      young people to get the necessary skills to further defend and promote their rights as well as to learn and promote the UN work in the country    

          Key responsibilities
     The intern supports       the      UNFPA      in delivering activities      within the Adolescents and Youth Portfolio which focuses on:

• supporting the education sector (general education and vocational schools) to deliver quality comprehensive sexuality education, including curricula development, teachers training, equipping schools with interactive teaching materials, equipping youth-friendly classrooms, etc;
• supporting schools in creating safe and gender-responsive environments by equipping schools with menstrual hygiene products, designing a youth-friendly medical cabinet and psychologist cabinet, working with parents, etc;
  supporting civil society organizations in delivering out-of-school comprehensive sexuality education by reaching out to left-behind adolescents and youth including young people with disabilities, young people from remote rural areas, from the Transnistrian region, refugee youth, etc.;
• Support youth civic engagement and participation by investing in the Network of Youth Centers and Network of Peer Educators on life skills, facilitating youth engagement with public authorities and decision-makers, supporting community initiatives led by young people, etc.      
  General assistance

Provide logistical and technical support to the      Adolescents and Youth Portfolio regarding planning and organization of      activities and events, printing/distributing materials, drafting meeting notes, supporting with records of participants, preparing training materials/folders, assisting in communication with youth networks and organizations,      and other similar tasks.    

     Support efficient programme implementation

Offer support in planning and implementation of activities by tracking the progress, timelines/deadlines, etc.;

Assists in preparing and organizing meetings and events with key stakeholders and counterparts and ensures the documentation of the meetings, including minute-taking, documentation sharing, knowledge management, and other similar activities;
Participate in meetings with key programme partners, including CSOs, governmental counterparts, young people, influencers, parents, school community, etc., and contribute by sharing the youth perspective;

Contribute to the development of the programme reports, resource mobilization documentation, etc.;

In collaboration with program communication staff support implementation of the program communication activities, identify and suggest innovative and youth-friendly approaches;

Contribute to the creation and sharing of knowledge, by synthesizing and documenting findings, success stories, best practices, and lessons learned within the implemented activities, to share with colleagues and partners, at the local and national levels;

Travel to the regions as and when required;

Perform any other duties, as required, related to the programme implementation.                                  


Eligibility requirements

• Completion of secondary education
• Experience of volunteering, being engaged in youth related initiatives, etc.          
• Motivation, willingness to learn, and to get involved in the activities.
   

Minimum qualifications / skills

• Basic knowledge and understanding of      youth programmes;
• Ability to work well with diverse groups of people;
• Comfortable talking with and interacting with others;
• Languages: Fluency in Romanian, both oral and written. Fluency in Russian/ English - would be an asset. Knowledge of one or more other languages relevant to Moldova, including Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian, or sign language, is an asset.

Core Competencies

• Proven commitment to the core values of the United Nations; in particular, is respectful of differences of culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, language, age, HIV status, disability, sexual orientation, or other status;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Accepts responsibility and accountability for the quality of the outcome of his/her decisions.
• Creative, open-minded, and willing to perform the required tasks for own professional development.

Who can apply

This internship position seeks to target young people from 18 – 24 years. This is a temporary special measure.

Internship package and working conditions

The interested candidates shall submit the following package of documents: (please enclose them in attachments section)

1. CV
2. Letter of motivation
3. 1-2 recommendation letters (from the supervisor, teacher, colleagues, or any other person who can describe your competencies)
4. Information on the additional needs the person might have, such as accommodation, transportation, or food.
5. Information on the special needs the person might have, such as reasonable accommodation at the workplace or any other specific needs.

Note: The intern will be provided with a fully equipped workplace.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.