Internship with Education - Ankara, Turkey

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child,

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If you are committed and passionate about making a lasting difference for children, UNICEF Turkey would like to hear from you.

Since the law change in 2012, compulsory education in Turkey is increased to 12 years with 4 years intervals as primary, lower and upper secondary. Turkish education system offers alternative schools at the upper-secondary level of compulsory education, covering grades 9 to 12 and ages 14 to 17, such as General Sedondary Education (Science, Social Sciences, Anatolian), Vocational and Technical Education (Vocational high schools, Vocational Education Centers, Fine Arts, Sports Schools) and Imam-Hatip High Schools.

In an effort to provide alternative education opportunities that would respond different needs of each child, in December 2016, Vocational Education Centers, previously known as Apprenticeship Training Centers, was included in the formal education system with law no. 6764. The students completing the lower secondary school on 8th grade can enroll to Vocational Education Centers (VECs) where they can receive predominantly practical training on 33 fields and 181 branches. Students receive their theoretical education in VECs for 1 or 2 days of a week and they receive practical training in a workplace for 4 or 5 days. The VEC students receive at least 1/3rd of the minimum wage which corresponds to a minimum of 1,276 TRY in a month (for 2022). While the children are in education and learning in a safe environment, they can also learn a vocation and make a contribution to their family income. After completion of the 12th grade, VEC graduates receive a high school diploma together with journeyperson and craftsperson certificates and a business licence.

According to Ministry of National Education (MoNE) statistics, the net schooling rate of Turkish children at the upper secondary level is 87.93% in 2020-2021 school year. For Syrian children under temporary protection in Turkey (SuTP) the rate is much lower, at only 43%, leaving 144.000 children, between the ages of 14-17, out-of-school. Child labor, inter alia, remains as one of the most prevalent reasons of being out-of-school among adolescents. Even though the experiences differ for boys and girls, in the most vulnerable families, children aged over 14 are often expected to provide for their family.

UNICEF has expanded its partnership with MoNE TVET DG, to support identification of out-of-school adolescents, especially those who are subjected to child labor, and to refer each child to best-fit education opportunities based on their interests, skills and needs. UNICEF- MoNE Rolling Working Plan 2021-2022 has activities in line with these onjectives and with the MoNE 2023 Education Vision targets under Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

UNICEF and TVET DG is partnering in preparing materials and resources for main actors in the VECs to provide information and guidance on education system in VECs with a child rights and right to education perspective with the aim of increasing the quality of education. In line with Vision 2023 targets; guidance teachers are trained, and necessary resources are developed for the teachers (guidance and coordinator), students and master trainers and distributed nationwide in cooperation with employee confederations. The assessment and evaluation methods are improved to provide better learning and prevent drop-outs. While these enhancements in the VEC systems are ongoing to increase the quality of education provided in VECs and in workplaces by master trainers, outreach teams are formed under Schooling Adolescents through Vocational Education (SAVE) Programme to identify the most vulnerable Turkish and Syrian out-of-school adolescents and re-integrate them into the education system.

The SAVE Programme has been primarily introduced for children who have dropped out of school due to various reasons after completing their primary education and aims to ensure their transition back to formal education through Vocational Education Centers. SAVE Programme is intended for out-of-school children aged 14-17 (Turkish children, Syrian children under temporary protection in Turkey and children from other nationalities who had to seek asylum in Turkey). The outreach teams also support children of other ages and with different needs, educational backgrounds or interests, who are identified through household and workplace visits, through referrals to the Provincial Directorates of National Education. The aim of this is to make sure that these young people continue their formal education through Vocational Education Centers (VECs) so that they obtain Journeyman and Mastership Certificate in addition to high school diploma.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF is looking for a national intern to join the education team. The selected intern, in collaboration with and under the guidance of their supervisor, will work on the following area:

• Schooling Adolescents through Vocational Education (SAVE) Programme – Support and improve programme documentation as well as knowledge management related to SAVE programme.

The SAVE Programme intern will:

• Analyze relevant documents (i.e. relevant legislation on secondary education, TVET and vocational education centers (VECs), programme documents and workflows) to keep abreast of the current situation in regard to accesss of children to TVET schools and VECs, including specific regulations for Syrian children under Temporary Protection (uTP),
• In coordination with Education Officer, facilitate and provide technical/administrative support for planning, implementation and possible expansion of the SAVE Programme with TVET DG,
• Support planning, administrative work, logistics and implementation of relevant workshops, seminars, conferences, and trainings with counterparts and implementing partners at central and local levels and prepare required info notes, meeting minutes, and presentations,
• Facilitate smooth coordination and communication between central MoNE and SAVE schools and VECs at the provinces and with external partners, collect and combine monthly reports and timesheets of field teams from programme provinces and prepare monthly and quarterly consolidated reports
• Support the programme management on procurement processes based on relevant MoNE procedures
• Undertake any other task to ensure the smooth implementation and reporting of the activities.

Duty Station: Ankara

Supervisor: Education Officer

Duration: 6 months

Stipend: In accordance to UNICEF's guidelines, interns will be paid a nominal stipend per month. There is no expectancy of employment at the end of the internship.

Insurance: UNICEF will not be responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the intern's service, whether on or off UNICEF premises. Therefore, the selected candidate must provide proof of enrolment in a health/accident plan prior to start his/her work. If accepted, the intern will be required to provide a copy of health insurance coverage and to fill out the relevant UNICEF forms on conditions regarding service as an intern.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate or Ph.D. degree programme of social sciences (preferably Educational Sciences, Literary Sciences or other relevant social science) or have graduated within the past two years;
• Advanced computer skills with experience in office and statistical data analysis programmes;
• Knowledge on child rights, right to education and Turkey’s education system, especially TVET, is an asset;
• Working proficiency in English and Turkish;
• Proficiency in other UNICEF's working languages is an asset;
• Excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institutional records;
• Additional consideration will be given for any relevant past experience;
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old;
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g., father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office; and
• Have no other relatives in the line of authority to which the intern will report to.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.