UNESCO – North Star Skills for Development

Organisations Posting International Development Jobs

Several agencies recently had a flurry of new postings advertised. These include Mercy Corps, International Rescue Committee, IOM, UNICEF and Danish Refugee Council. Over the years, I have rubbed shoulders with professionals working with these agencies. Maybe your time has come to do the same. Check their websites below.

Mercy Corps – Careers | Mercy Corps

International Rescue Committee – Join International Rescue Committee and Make a Difference in Your Career

IOM – IOM Career Gateways | IOM, UN Migration

UNICEF – UNICEF Careers | UNICEF Careers

Danish Refugee Council – Work with us | Danish Refugee Council

Good luck with your efforts.

And, if you’d like a recounting of some of my work abroad, check out my memoir “Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between” available from this website or from AMAZON Canada.

All the best, Arthur

Happy World Youth Skills Day

July 15th is World Youth Skills Day. The ILO and UNESCO coordinate and offer a number of events during the day. This year’s theme is Skills for a Shared Future.

This is what the UNEVOC says of today’s celebration.

Every year on 15 July, World Youth Skills Day celebrates the importance of equipping young people with the skills they need for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. The day also provides an opportunity for dialogue between young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, the private sector, policymakers and development partners on the role of skills in shaping inclusive and sustainable societies.

What will it take to equip every young person with the competencies they need to thrive in a shared future?

The world of work is changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence, the green transition and growing social complexity are transforming how we learn, work and participate in society. To thrive in this changing landscape, young people need more than technical skills alone. They need a balanced set of competencies that combines technical, digital, AI, green, social-emotional and civic skills with the human qualities that technology cannot replace.

https://live.ilo.org/event/world-youth-skills-day-2026-skills-shared-future-2026-07-15

World Youth Skills Day 2026: Skills for a shared future | UNEVOC International Centre for TVET

If you have time, check the information out today. If you miss the events, there is usually follow-up recording.

UNESCO India Assignment

I worked with UNESCO for four years as Team Leader on the STEP Malawi project. It was a fantastic project in skills and technical education like this one coming up in India but the latter has a particular focus on young women.

The position is “Project Associate” to support the implementation of the UNESCO–NIKE “Kickstart Her Future – India” project.

Application Deadline is: July 26th

To see information on the STEP Malawi program use the following link.

STEP – Skills and Technical Education Programme – Malawi

I found the UNESCO India request interesting for several reasons. One, the request shows the level of detail that goes into requests of this type, and secondly it provides a link to the UNESCO recruitment page.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/call-for-applications-the-unesco-regional-share-7477247192085340160-LBgb/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAAT6WVYBoOng7VOGUXAeFXrhWNx2_Umpivg

Good luck if you apply.

In my long career, I had several assignments in South Asia including one with the ITU in India. To read about my experience there, you can check out my book Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between available from my website or from AMAZON Canada.

July 15 is World Youth Skills Day

See the post below from my former UNESCO colleague, Dr. Borhene Chakroun.

Skills Can’t Wait!

More than 70 million youth are unemployed, and millions more are underemployed or stuck in informal, unstable work. At the same time, the world of work is changing rapidly — driven by green and technological transformation, demographic shifts, and the rise of artificial intelligence.

In this evolving landscape, the need for skills development and lifelong learning opportunities for all has never been more critical. Young people must be equipped not only with job-specific and digital capabilities, but also with the green, entrepreneurial, critical and citizenship skills needed to thrive in a future that demands adaptability, creativity, and resilience.

But youth are not just beneficiaries of this transition — they are its agents of change. They are innovators, entrepreneurs, community leaders, climate activists, creators, and problem-solvers. Investing in their potential means investing in a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable future for all.

Join us to celebrate the energy, talent, and determination of young people everywhere — and commit to building education and skills systems that truly empower them to shape the future of work, economy and society. Join on-line our celebration of the World Youth Skills Day on 15th July : https://lnkd.in/eamMhmNk

We are launching our Global Skills Tracker to offer up-to-minute information on demands for skills: https://lnkd.in/exFDcw_w

Hervé Huot-Marchand Friedrich Huebler François Taddei Stefania Giannini

hashtag#unescounevoc hashtag#SDG4 hashtag#unescoActivate to view larger image,

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New Job Opportunity with UNESCO in Afghanistan

UNESCO Office in Afghanistan is recruiting a Programme Specialist (Skills Development and Literacy Education). The deadline for the application is 9 June 2025.
https://lnkd.in/dBbf_YA7

I had a quick scan of this opportunity, and it looks both interesting and challenging. I believe the requirement that candidates need a PhD maybe raising the bar too high but that is just my opinion.

In 2007, when the situation in Afghanistan was relatively calm, I had an assignment with the International Labour Organization to start development of a National Employment Policy. It was an intense but worthwhile experience, and many of the international consultants and advisors who were there at the same time would probably say the same thing. With Afghan colleagues we made a difference in health, education, infrastructure development and in other areas. (You can read more about my Afghan experience in my book available from this website.)

Times have changed, but this is your chance to help the young women of Afghanistan.

Below are a couple of pictures from my time in Afghanistan. I wonder if the co-op shown in picture 1 is still operating.

Sign for Afghan Women Companies displaying services such as solar lanterns, mobile repairs, and gem cutting, supported by the Italian Cooperation. — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Two young boys sitting on a cart pulled by a donkey on a dusty street in Afghanistan, with buildings and vehicles in the background. — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA