ILO Internship Programme

ILO's Internship Programme provides a wide range of opportunities for high calibre graduate/postgraduate students and recently graduated candidates who are looking for a “hands-on” learning experience in fields related to the ILO's mandate and activities. The aim of our internship programme is to give the interns exposure to ILO daily work over a three to six month period.

To apply for an internship at the ILO, you must be enrolled in the last year of a graduate degree (Master or equivalent) or in a higher degree programme relevant to the ILO's work or have completed such a programme in the year preceding the application. You must also possess a working knowledge of at least one of the ILO's working languages (English, French or Spanish) and be able to adapt to an international, multicultural, multilingual environment. There is no age limit for applicants.

The ILO opens the Internship Roster, which is a call for applications, 2 to 3 times per year. When the application period closes, the profiles of eligible candidates are made available to departments seeking interns within a given roster period. As such, internships can start on the 1st or 15th of any month throughout the year.

Keep in mind...

  • The cost of travel, passport, visa, insurance coverage for illness and accidents and accommodation, as well as living expenses during an internship at the ILO, are the sole responsibility of the intern or his/her sponsoring institution;  
  • In case an intern is not supported by an institution (university, government or other), a stipend to cover basic subsistence costs is paid by the ILO;
  • Close relatives of serving ILO officials are not eligible for an internship. Likewise candidates who have already worked at the ILO or participated in the Internship programme are ineligible;
  • Only three applications per recruitment advertisement period are accepted.