The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has started a program for young graduates to do immersion internships at ECOWAS institutions. Young graduates from ECOWAS Member States who are 35 years of age or under are eligible for the program.
Objective
- Help young graduates integrate into the workforce by giving them the chance to learn more about ECOWAS programs and giving interns a chance to contribute to the effective execution of the institutions’ programs and activities.
Specific objectives
- Offer the possibility of an immersion (internship) in the services of the regional institution (Institutions, Agencies, Departments, Resident Representations);
- Create a framework that allows young graduates to contribute to the implementation of major ECOWAS programs within Departments, Agencies, Representations and Institutions.
Expected results
- Youth acquire professional experience through their immersion in ECOWAS programs, for their career development.
- Young graduates contribute to the implementation of ECOWAS programs
Target audience
- Young graduates from ECOWAS Member States, not more than 35 years of age.
Eligibility
- Be a citizen of an ECOWAS Member States;
- Hold a Certificate, at the Bachelor (BSc), Master, PhD or equivalent certificate;
- Submit:
- a request to the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs (HDSA) which describes the motivation of the candidate with expression of his centers of interest, as well as the candidate’s commitment to respect the terms and conditions of the internship;
- a Curriculum vitae;
- a copy of a national Identity card, or passport;
- a copy of the academic certificate or its equivalent;
Benefits
- The immersion course lasts one year.
- A flat monthly allowance of $500 over a maximum period of 12 months, for the intern wishing to carry out the internship in their country of origin.
- A flat monthly allowance of $800 over a maximum period of 12 months, for interns wishing to complete their internship in a country other than their own.
- A return ticket from the country to the host country for interns doing their internship in a country other than their own.
- Health insurance for the Intern, to deal with possible cases of illness.
The Internship does not:
- The Program does not cover any other type of insurance.
- The intern is responsible for housing and providing local transport (In some cases, arrangements on the intern’s allowance could be made to facilitate their accommodation).
- The internship does not give entitlement for a job at ECOWAS.
- The intern renounces the Program if he already benefits from another support system from ECOWAS institutions, accumulation is not possible.
- Students who have already benefited from the Young Graduates Internship Program in ECOWAS Institutions are no longer eligible.
- The intern signs before the start of the internship a charter of engagement in which he undertakes to respect the conditions of the internship, and not to make any claim tending to disrupt the proper functioning of the services.
Selection Process:
Internship positions are defined with ECOWAS Departments and reception structures before each Program, which allows the candidate to apply according to the need expressed by these structures;
- 90 internship positions are expressed for the year 2022 according to the attached list.
- The selection of the Graduate Immersion Programme in ECOWAS Institutions is made by a Technical Selection Committee;
- Only the selected candidates will be contacted for the rest of the process.
Duration and Terms:
- The Immersion Program for young graduates in ECOWAS programs lasts one year over a period of 12 months maximum {Non-renewable};
- The Program is carried out in the Departments, Agencies, Representations and Institutions of ECOWAS, or any other place duly designated by ECOWAS;
- The young graduate benefiting from the Program produces a report at the end of the internship in three copies, one copy being sent to the HDSA Department, second copy to the user department and the third copy for the individual record of the intern in person; The practical modalities of the program will be defined in connection with the reception department, the Directorate of Education, Science, and Culture, Department of Human Development, and Social Affairs;
- Selected interns will be required (mandatory) to participate in person or online (for those not living in Abuja) in any information or internship feedback meeting convened by the Program Coordination accordingly.
Program Coordination:
- Coordination of the internship program is carried out by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs.
Application:
- Opening date of the call: September 12th, 2022
- Closing date of the call: September 28, 2022
