Disability - Internship to empower people with disabilities via inclusive social protection systems
Grade: Internship
Publication date: 07 April 2025
Application deadline (midnight Geneva time): 30 April 2025
Vacancy no.: INTERNROSTER/2025/1/SOCPRO/DIS
Job ID: 12879
Department: SOCPRO
Organization Unit: SOCPRO
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Duration of contract: 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 twice 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, the ILO does not inform candidates about the status of their application.
The ILO Internship Programme provides an opportunity for you to:
- Increase your understanding of relevant issues at the international level by involving you directly in the work of the Office and the application of ILO principles, programmes and strategies.
- Gain practical experience with the ILO directly related to your field of study.
Please note that you:
- Are requested to apply to a maximum of three internship profiles, otherwise you will be automatically disqualified.
- Must upload a cover letter. Your CV or resumé uploaded as attachments are not accepted.
- Are able to withdraw your application at any time via the Jobs Applied section of your profile.
- May not be contacted for the duration that this roster is active. Should this be the case, we encourage you to reapply if you are still eligible and available.
- Should not expect employment at the end of the internship.
- Must apply before the deadline. Late applications will not be considered.
The ILO values diversity. As part of our disability-dedicated initiative, this internship opportunity is limited to candidates with disabilities. We also welcome applications from candidates from non- or under- represented member States.
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. If you are unable to complete your online application form due to a disability, please send an email to internship@ilo.org.
If you are a national of a non- or under-represented member State, who is pursuing or has completed their studies in their home country, you may be eligible to have your travel costs covered by the ILO to Geneva, Switzerland.
IMPORTANT:
You can only apply for an internship if you:
- Have no close relative serving in the ILO (mother, father, brother, sister).
- Have not already undertaken an internship at the ILO.
- Are enrolled in a Master’s or a Doctorate Programme, or have completed such a programme in the year preceding the application.
- Have a working (both oral and written) knowledge of English. This is mandatory.
Department(s)
The internship is located with the Disability Focal Point in the Social Policy Unit of the Universal Social Protection Department. The Department (SOCPRO) is responsible for promoting enhanced coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all through efficient and sustainable national social protection floors and comprehensive social security systems, in line with the Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202), the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) and other ILO social security standards. The department also works on cross-cutting issues such as climate change, humanitarian nexus, gender and migration.
The Social Policy Unit is responsible for providing technical advisory services to constituents in developing and enhancing policy and legal frameworks that govern social protection schemes and programmes and overall national social protection systems. This includes issues related to the design of contributory and non-contributory social security schemes providing access to health care and income security in case of unemployment, old-age, sickness, disability, work injury, maternity, family responsibilities or poverty and vulnerability in general. Particular attention is given to social health protection, formalisation and to supporting countries in aligning their legal frameworks with ILO social security standards.
Other units in the department include the Public Finance, Actuarial and Statistics Unit; the Programming, Partnerships and Knowledge-sharing Unit that supports the management and the operations of the Department, the communication and dissemination of social protection knowledge and provides strategic, technical and operational support for the ILO's Global Flagship programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All; and the ILO Actuarial Services Unit, which carries out social insurance valuations, namely through development cooperation projects.
Learning areas
With regards to disability, the ILO made a commitment at the Second Global Disability Summit to mainstream disability in its policy advice, data and statistical work and development cooperation projects, including in the area of Social Protection. The intern will have an opportunity to contribute to departmental knowledge products related to disability and social protection, including through providing literature reviews and related research. For social protection and disability, the ILO, jointly with UNICEF developed a guidance note on how to design social protection systems that maximize the inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities. The guidance pursues a twin-track approach: making social protection schemes and programmes across all areas accessible for people with disabilities while also designing disability-specific schemes to ensure adequate support for people with disabilities in line with their needs. As an intern in the Social Policy Unit working on disability, you would work on approaches to mainstreaming disability into the department’s work related to unemployment, old-age, sickness, work injury, maternity, family responsibilities or poverty and vulnerability in general, including when making social protection systems more adaptive to respond to climate change, in times of crises and migration. Specific attention is given to intersectional approaches that consider also gender, ethnicity and other vulnerable groups as well as to care and support services. This includes addressing the whole range of issues regarding social protection system design and implementation, in particular as regards social protection data and statistics, disability identification and assessment, disability related extra costs, policy and legal frameworks, financing of social protection and delivery mechanisms as well as the design of development cooperation projects at country level. This also includes improving participation of people with disabilities in policy processes and making outputs (publications, meetings, websites) more accessible. The work cuts across all areas and therefore requires collaboration with specialists across all units of the department as well as in the field.
Interns should also expect to devote 10% to 20% of their time to administrative tasks.
Education
The candidate must be enrolled at least in a Master's degree programme or must have completed such a programme no longer than 1 year ago, in a domain such as public administration, public policy, development studies, law, social policy, economics, econometrics, statistics, social sciences or a related discipline.
Experience
Prior experience on disability inclusion, either through research or other exposure is a requirement. Relevant work experience in social security/protection or international development; qualitative research experience, knowledge of IT, quantitative modelling, or applied policy research would be an advantage.
Languages
Working (both oral and written) knowledge of English and the other ILO’s official languages (French, Spanish) are an asset.
Competencies
Adaptable to an international, multicultural and multilingual environment, good communication skills and be able to work in a team.
Additional requirements
This internship opportunity is limited to candidates with disabilities.
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/Financial compensations:
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.
Qualified candidates from non- and under- represented countries may be eligible for a special fund that provides financial assistance for round-trip airfare (economy class) in addition to the stipend.
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.