outh Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills (YEES) Project aims to tackle two most pressing issues in Timor Leste’s youth employment: 1) limited opportunity of being employed and 2) limited opportunity of being entrepreneurs for youth and migrant workers. The project is mainly funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for six years starting in 2022. This project will focus on producing two medium-term sub-outcomes: 1) youth become employed and 2) youth become entrepreneurs, which will contribute to UNSDCF/CPD outcome 2: By 2025, institutions and people throughout Timor-Leste in all their diversity, especially women and youth, benefit from sustainable economic opportunities and decent work to reduce poverty, with three interrelated outputs:

Output 1: Youth obtain skills, competencies and knowledge to be employed.

Output 2: Service providers are available to deliver holistic support to enhance employability.

Output 3: Youth, including migrants/returnees, obtain skills, knowledge and services to start or expand their business.

The  intern will perform the following duties: 

1. Youth Employment

• Support in implementing the activities to enhance employment access to Timorese youth, such as internship, soft skills training, career counseling, job fairs, etc.

Learning goal: This duty will provide the intern with hands-on experience in working directly with UNDP’s project activities and engaging with beneficiaries. This duty will also provide a holistic understanding to the intern of how UNDP works with multi-stakeholders in enhancing employment access to Timorese youth.

2. Knowledge Management and Communication

• Support in collecting and managing results data of the project.
• Support in developing communication materials of the project.

Learning goal: This duty will provide the intern with direct experience and exposure on how UNDP manages its data and utilize them for different communication purposes.

3. Other/ad hoc activities as seen relevant and needed:

• Participate in training related to their area of work.
• Contribute to sharing of lessons learned and knowledge with relevant project and country office staff.
• Participate in project meetings with beneficiaries and donors as appropriate.
• Contribute to a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and positive working environment.
• Support project/programme taking meetings and interview minutes when required.

Learning goal: This duty will allow for ample learning opportunities, from other members of staff as well as training opportunities.

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNDP; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNDP’s procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;
• Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNDP in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;
• Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;
• Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.
• Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
• Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

The applicant should also have a genuine commitment towards the vision and mission of UNDP, as well as to the UN Core Values. 

Stipends, insurance and interns’ expenses

• Interns may be given a stipend under conditions prescribed in the section on stipends, below.  Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, passports, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of:

1. The nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or
2. The intern.

Insurance:

• Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with UNDP and must provide a medical certificate of good health prior to starting the internship. UNDP will not reimburse the medical insurance of the intern. Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.

• Selected candidates for internships must show proof of valid medical insurance for the duty station in which they will intern. For applicants that are neither nationals nor residents of the duty station, the insurance must include adequate coverage in the event of an injury or illness during the internship duration which:

1. Requires transportation to the home country or country of residence for further treatment;
2. Results in death and requires preparation and return of the remains to the home country, or country of residence.

• UNDP accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to personal effects that may occur during the internship.

Stipend

• Where an intern is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme, a stipend intended to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station, must be paid by the receiving office.

• The monthly amount of the stipend will be determined for each duty station based on the stipend rates published yearly by the OHR Policy and Compensation Unit. The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and part-time internship arrangements are prorated accordingly.

• Where an intern is financially supported by an institution, government or third party, UNDP will, subject to the rules of such institution, government or third party, pay the intern the difference, if any, between the external financial support provided and the applicable UNDP stipend.

No other payments of any kind will be made to an intern by the office in connection with an internship agreement.

Education:

Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

1. Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher) in the area of economics, business / public administration, development studies, international relations or equivalent.
2. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the area of economics, business / public administration, development studies, international relations or equivalent.
3. Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation;
4. Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Ideally, the applicant’s education should be in a relevant field to the internship position to which they are applying for (e.g. social science, economics, management, etc.).