Islanders hoping to launch a career in humanitarian work or international development can now apply for an 18-month scheme combining placements in Jersey, the UK and overseas.
Jersey Overseas Aid’s Programme Associate scheme has supported 14 islanders since 2018, with previous participants going on to roles at the United Nations and other international organisations.
The programme includes six months in Jersey, six months with a partner organisation in the UK and six months with one of that organisation’s programmes abroad. Previous placements have taken participants to Uganda, Jordan, Ethiopia and Tanzania.
The next cohort will work with CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, which has projects across Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Ukraine.
The charity’s Head of Integrated Funding and Business Innovation said: “It is a wonderful opportunity to enable young people, or anyone looking for a career change, to develop key skills to launch a career in international development, which is often challenging to access.”
Former associate Richard Crane, who took part in 2024–2025, has since become a Senior Programme Officer at the David Nott Foundation.
“Experience that might have taken a decade to build, I’ve been able to gain in a fraction of the time,” he said.
Zoe Pannenbourg, who took part in 2022–2023, said: “What set the role apart was the opportunity to combine donor, NGO, and in-country experience within a single placement.
“Through both Street Child’s head office and the Street Child Uganda team, I gained experience across funding, programmes, and partnerships.”
For Faye Coggins, an associate in 2019–2020, the scheme led to a Junior Professional Officer role with the United Nations.
She said: “The Programme Associate role provided a strong foundation for my career, opening the door to opportunities within the international development and humanitarian sector.”
Her placement included six months with JOA, followed by a year with HelpAge International split between its head office and programme work in Tanzania.
HelpAge International UK has hosted five associates. Head of Programme Development and Funding, Tony Hopkins, said they “have consistently brought strong skills, enthusiasm, and fresh perspectives, while making a valuable contribution to our work”.
Applications close at 5pm on Sunday 1 November, with an estimated start date in January 2027.
More details are available at joa.je/get-involved/programme-associate-internship/.
