North Star Skills for Development
For people who want to learn about international development, its rich experiences and opportunities
Before you get excited, I checked the link for this ad and it does not take you directly to Save the Children (International) site, but rather to one cluttered with confusing ads. So I did not include that link.
To visit the real Save the Children site and check on available or upcoming vacancies see here.
https://www.savethechildren.net/careers
Good luck.
Ah, wonderful CUSO! The first agency through which I started an international career in development.
The web links in the boxes below don’t work (my bad) but you can at least scan the job titles and locations (for English, French and Spanish speakers).
You can find the full list of opportunities with CUSO at this active web link. Just cut and paste this link to your browser.
Cuso International – Current Openings
| Cuso International is celebrating 65 years of connection, collaboration, and global citizenship this June, and you can be part of it too. Apply for our latest 3–12 month volunteer placements and join a global community working alongside local partners to advance gender equality, inclusive economic growth, and sustainable development. Tanzania placements focus on fundraising and mining, with more mining opportunities on the horizon. In Peru, contribute to project development, supporting local partners to identify opportunities and develop proposals. In Benin, a standout opportunity is the Business Engagement Advisor role, which also requires some work in Senegal, supporting private sector engagement and inclusive economic development. For over six decades, Cuso International has connected tens of thousands of volunteers with partners around the world, building skills, strengthening communities, and creating lasting change. Now, it’s your turn to be part of that story. Join us in celebrating 65 years by helping shape what comes next and apply today! |
Hello friends:
My former colleagues at the ILO have another wonderful opportunity to work with them. This time it is in Uganda. Sadly, in my career, I never made it to Uganda. The closest I got to was Malawi, but then I also worked in Nigeria and Ghana too and visited many more.
See their opportunity posting here. Just cut and paste the link to your browser.
📢 Call for External Collaborator | International Expert
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is seeking an International Expert to support Employment Services Delivery in Uganda.
The consultant will provide technical expertise for the design, preparation, facilitation and follow-up of an Employment Service Delivery Bootcamp in Uganda under the ILO PROSPECTS Programme. The assignment will help strengthen the operational effectiveness, coordination and adaptability of organizations delivering employment services to refugees and host communities.
🗓 Deadline: 22 June 2026, 12:00 GMT+2
🔗 Apply via UNGM: https://lnkd.in/e2hbP5_A
Please share with qualified experts in employment services, refugee livelihoods, labour market inclusion and capacity development.
#ILO #Uganda #EmploymentServices #Refugees #HostCommunities #PROSPECTS #DecentWork #Consultancy #UNJobs #DevelopmentJobs
Hello all:
A former colleague of mine in the ILO shared the attached request. Please read it carefully before applying. You still have a week before the deadline. (See corrected link information below.)
📢 Call for External Collaborator | Monitoring and Evaluation of National Skills Policies
The ILO Skills and Employability Branch (SKILLS) is seeking a highly specialised expert with more than 15 years of experience to develop a practical Guide and Toolkit on Monitoring and Evaluation of National Skills Policies.
The product will form part of the Global Skills Policy Guide — a flagship deliverable of the Strategic Skills Partnership Initiative (SSPI), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ).
The consultant will be expected to develop:
👉 A concise M&E conceptual framework, including an illustrative theory of change
👉 A policy and system-level indicator framework covering six monitoring dimensions (access and equity; quality and relevance; labour market responsiveness; governance and coordination; financing; policy coherence)
👉 A suite of practical tools, grounded in five diverse country examples
The assignment is for 40 working days over approximately five months.
📅 Deadline to apply: 15 June 2026
➡️ Apply via UNGM or here: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1779895933555
A friend sent me the following information. Check it out if your organization qualifies.
| Funding Available for Canadian SMOs through Canada LIFTs Register by June 30, 2026 |
| Canada LIFTs is a national initiative led by the Inter-Council Network and funded by Global Affairs Canada designed to support Canadian non-profits and charities working in solidarity with local and international partners. Through flexible funding, practical resources, peer connection, and relevant learning opportunities, Canada LIFTs aims to strengthen community-led international cooperation and support organizations to work in more equitable, responsive, and collaborative ways. Two of Canada LIFTS funding streams—the Momentum Fund and the Together Fund —will start accepting applications in July, 2026. Registered Canadian non-profit or charities (excluding post-secondary institutions) interested in applying to Canada LIFTs for either of these streams must register by June 30, 2026 at 11am PDT. |
| Momentum Fund Funding above $50K and below $200K per year (with a $400K max for multi-year funding) For organizations ready to scale, adapt, or deepen their work Requires 5% matching contribution Together Fund Funding between $100K and $200K per year (with a $600K max for multi-year funding) If selected, three years of funding will be guaranteed Requires 100% matching contribution |
| Learn More & Register by June 30 |
Katie Wedley, Country Director and Representative, UNOPS, Afghanistan posted this opportunity on LinkedIn recently.
We are looking for a senior manager for an impressive, complex project working at scale across the whole of Afghanistan. This is a new position as Deputy Director (IICA4). The Responsibilities, Education and Experience required are outlined in the link. Important also: commitment to communities, palpable energy and proven work ethic, articulation of strategic thinking and demonstrable maturity in stakeholder management – all of which is constantly required in this one-of-a-kind project for Community Resilience and Livelihoods for Afghans. https://www.acrlp.org/
Deadline of 8 June https://lnkd.in/ez4cqwtZ
I worked in Afghanistan more than a decade ago and found it challenging but rewarding.
You can read about my assignment with the ILO in Afghanistan in my A to Z memoir: Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between. It is available from this website or from AMAZON Canada.
Good luck if you apply for this UNOPS post, and happy reading if you buy my memoir.
A friend of mine sent me information about two internships at this organization based in Denmark. Unfortunately, I received the notice in my mailbox just before I went on a two week holiday and just saw the message today.
I recommend you check their website to appreciate what they are doing and their methodology. https://mmccglobal.org/
One reason why their website caught my attention is it shows their work in Bangladesh and Afghanistan where I have worked in the past. (Check my memoir – Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia … for my experiences in those countries.)
MMCC also works in Ethiopia, a country I have only had the pleasure to briefly visit. I note from the MMCC website they are also looking to expand to other countries. I do hope that includes Gaza. When I worked there with UNRWA, our project helped organize summer camps on the beach for children.
I hope you enjoy the MMCC website and good luck if you apply for one or other of the two internships.
KEEP DOING GOOD.
I am very pleased to be assisting the ILO in Lebanon. This assignment will involve synthesizing a comprehensive study of approximately 180 pages into a structured report of around 40 pages, while preserving analytical rigor, key evidence and policy relevance.
In March 2023, the International Labour Organization (ILO) began implementing ENABLE, a 3-year EU-funded programme to support sustainable livelihoods and access to decent work for social protection beneficiaries in Lebanon, particularly unskilled and unemployed youth, women and persons with disabilities. Within the National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS), it supports employment activation so beneficiaries move beyond assistance by building skills, gaining work experience and accessing sustainable employment.
The 2023–2024 war displaced more than 1.2 million people within Lebanon and damaged or destroyed nearly 64,000 buildings, disrupting education for hundreds of thousands of students and contributed with other crises to economic contraction and increased unemployment as well as labour migration.
Using desk research, key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs), this assessment under ENABLE analyses post-war market trends across five key sectors to identify value-chain constraints and opportunities for job creation. The findings inform short-term employment initiatives and market-responsive training to address skills gaps and support labour-market inclusion of marginalized people, contributing to productive and decent employment, poverty reduction, inclusive recovery and resilience.
It is encouraging to see the ILO with EU support continuing its important work in Lebanon.
Being an ex-CUSO volunteer in Nigeria and later a CUSO Field Staff Officer in Ghana, I encourage individuals to have a look at what CUSO International has to offer by way of assignments. These days both e-volunteering and international placement are available, so too are placements in the North of Canada. See the information below that I pulled from an email received today.
The links in the BLOCKS below do not work but you can see what openings are currently available and where. To see all available openings scroll down to the bottom of this post.
| This April, discover flexible volunteer placements designed to create meaningful impact through shorter 3-5 month opportunities combined with e-volunteering options. Our latest placements focus on economic resilience, inclusive growth, and private-sector engagement, supporting partners to strengthen inclusive policies, advance gender equality, and support entrepreneurship and workforce development. We’re seeking Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and skills-based professionals, including Curriculum Advisors for the mining sector, to help reskill and upskill individuals and support youth employment. Indigenous individuals are especially encouraged to apply for our Youth Sports & Recreation Coordinator placement in Northern Canada, supporting youth wellbeing and community development. If you’ve never volunteered with Cuso International before, this is a great time to start. There’s a placement ready to take you somewhere new, professionally and personally! |
https://apply.workable.com/cuso-international/?utm_source=Placement+Alert&utm_medium=Email
To read about my experiences with CUSO in Nigeria and Ghana (and later with different organizations in other countries), check out my book Overseas Adventures available on this website, or from AMAZON.
GOOD LUCK!
Call for External Collaborator – Skills & International Labour Standards (ILS)
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is seeking an external collaborator to support a promotional initiative on international labour standards related to skills development and lifelong learning.
This assignment will contribute to strengthening the understanding, promotion, and practical use of key instruments such as Conventions No. 140 and No. 142, helping bridge the gap between standards and their application in policies and programmes.
The selected consultant will:
– Develop concise, user-friendly guidance for ILO specialists and constituents
– Translate complex normative frameworks into practical tools
– Produce communication materials to support engagement and visibility
🌍 This is a unique opportunity to contribute to advancing skills systems, lifelong learning, and the effective application of international labour standards globally.
📄 Full details and how to apply:
https://lnkd.in/dddbdgEa
📅 Deadline: 13 April 2026
In case you didn’t realize it, I like to promote engagement with the ILO whenever I can. I did many assignments with them over the years, in Afghanistan working on employment policy, in the Middle East reviewing competency standards development, and in Bangladesh as Chief Technical Advisor on the TVET Reform project. All were tremendously rewarding professionally, and the assignment described above looks that way too. Why not check it out?
And a reminder that my memoir, Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between is available from my website or from AMAZON.