Refugee and Skill-Building Intern - Fall

International Rescue Committee Internship

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities.

A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions.

The Refugee TANF Coordination Program (RTCP) specializes in providing holistic services to humanitarian immigrant parents receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The goal of the program is threefold:
1) assist households in maintaining compliance with their TANF benefits,
2) reduce barriers to self-sufficiency and employment, for both spouses if a two-parent household and
3) assist the employment ready spouse(s) in securing full-time employment. The intern will work directly under the supervision of one of the RTCP employment specialists.

• Assess new clients through creating their individual initial employment plan and pre-employment budget.
• Conduct bulk Zoom or in-person skill-building or information sessions, including on job readiness, interviews, digital literacy, public transport, childcare options, driver's licenses, GED courses and credential evaluation.
• Assist clients with public benefit application follow-up, calls to external service providers and referrals to internal and external services.
• Create individualized resumes and cover letters, assist with finding job leads and complete job applications with clients.
• Strategically research potential employer partners and conduct outreach.
• Regularly track service provision through electronic data entry and organize required client documentation.
• Other duties assigned by the RTCP team.

• Intern will gain US resettlement agency experience in assessing new clients.
• Intern will learn how to train and communicate with varied stakeholders, including how to effectively utilize interpreters.
• Intern will acquire knowledge of programs and public benefits available to humanitarian immigrants.
• Intern will learn how to effectively create resumes and job search for clients.
• Intern will gain skills in strategic research and outreach strategies.
• Intern will learn reporting requirements for resettlement agencies and how capturing this data improves services.

• Current undergraduate, graduate student or less than 12 months out of school.
• Strong digital literacy skills and the ability to learn new software and tasks.
• Organized and attentive to detail.
• Ability to work independently and multi-task.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience or interest in conducting trainings.
• Interest in working in a global environment.
• Fluency in Dari, Pashto, Ukrainian, Spanish, Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda, Tigrinya, or Amharic is a plus.
• Access to an insured vehicle preferred, but not required.