2018-2019 Internship Opportunity for Roma Students

The Roma Education Fund (REF) and the Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI) invites applications for two internship positions at the microfinance institutions in each of the following countries:  Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia.

The Roma Education Fund (REF) and the Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI) invites applications for two internship positions at the microfinance institutions in each of the following countries:  Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia. CALL’S FOR ALL  FOUR COUNTRIES ARE NOW OPEN ! The main aim of the internship is to provide on the job training for young Roma students/graduates and enable them to acquire practical experience and knowledge of the day to day work of the Loan officers at the financial institutions. In addition, the aim is to introduce Roma graduates to the professional world and the constraints, duties and opportunities therein.

Starting date:                        September 1st, 2018 
Application deadline:           June 30, 2018
Full/ PartTime:                       Fulltime
Period:                                   6 months
Countries:                              Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia Romania – OPEN 

The interns will be based at the microfinance institutions that are partners with the Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative:

  • Macedonia: Horizonti – Skopje
  • Romania: FAER, Romcom, Good.bee; Mures, Cluj, Oradea, Timisoara, Craiova, Galati/Braila, etc
  • Bulgaria: Mikrofond – Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Montana, Vidin
  • Serbia: Agroinvest–Belgrade, Valjevo, Leskovac, Kragujevac, Vranje, Cacak, Nis

This internship scheme is offered to candidates of Romani background who have completed either a post-secondary education (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) or are current students at their last year of studies – beneficiaries of the REF scholarship. The internships are paid covering all the cost of the students and monthly allowance.

Eligibility Criteria

This opportunity is available to REF scholars and fellows who are interested in professional development in the field of finance. Applicants are expected to:

  • be Roma Education Fund graduates who have completed their education (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) or Current Roma Education Fund beneficiaries in their last year of studies;
  • Be a student or graduate in economics, finance, public policy, business administration, banking, management law, or any area related to microfinance.
  • Have a basic spoken and written level of English.
  • Knowledge of the Roma community and culture. Applicants with Romani language will be considered with priority.
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Clear and motivated desire for practical and professional experience in risk assessment and microfinance

Personal attitudes:

  • initiative and responsibility, 
  • result oriented and sense of continuous improvement, 
  • concern for quality, efficiency and accuracy, 
  • adaptability, 
  • self-management and development ,
  • open to operate in different environments and field work in communities.

Personal values:

  • integrity,
  • loyalty and conscientiousness,
  • discretion, 
  • independence and confidence, 
  • respect for diversity.

Selection Criteria

The interns will be selected through a competitive selection process based on the relevance of the applicant’s career goals, previous working experience and motivation. The short-listed candidates will be called for an interview. Applicants will be notified of the result of the evaluation process by July 15th2018.

How to apply?

Please follow the instructions from the PDF calls below.