The North Atlantic Council established the NATO HQ Internship Programme on 31 May 2004 (C-M (2004)0042) as part of the Action Plan to Improve Gender Balance and Diversity in NATO Headquarters, and approved changes to the Programme in 2018 (PO(2018)0237). It was also decided that the Internship Programme should be extended to other NATO bodies.
The programme has four primary goals:
➤ To contribute to creating a more diverse workforce by encouraging Divisions/Offices to take on interns of different nationalities, origins and backgrounds in order to provide the Organization with a younger, more diverse pool of potential future job applicants;
➤ To provide interns with an opportunity to learn from the NATO community and get a thorough understanding and balanced view of the Organization;
➤ To provide the Organization with access to the latest theoretical and technical knowledge that the intern can apply through practical work assignments;
➤ To expand the understanding of NATO in Alliance countries by having interns return to their countries and/or universities after completing the internship and share their experience.
ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME Internship Guide 10 B. GENERAL CONDITIONS
➤ Duration of Internship: In principle, your internship will last 6 months. Shorter periods or extensions will only be possible in exceptional cases based on divisional needs. Internships start in March and September; exceptions will only be made for urgent divisional requirements or for interns on scholarships or grants. Contracts may be terminated by either party with one week’s notice.
➤ Number of Interns: NATO HQ’s internship programme involves approximately 100 interns per year, in addition to interns who enter the Organization via national programmes and those on a scholarship or a grant. In total, the number of interns at any given time should not exceed 10 percent of the total number of A-grades on the International Staff establishment.
➤ Remuneration: Interns are paid a stipend at the rate of 25% of an A1 position, step 1 (1,235€ per month in 2023). Your stipend is not exempt from taxation. You may receive additional funding from outside sources.
➤ Travel: The joining and returning travel costs of interns to/from Brussels will be covered by NATO. You can either book your pre-paid travel tickets through the NATO Travel Agency, or alternatively, you can be reimbursed for your travel expenses after the start of your internshipspecial ID card. Internship Guide 11
➤ Leave: You will have the same working hours and same official public holidays as any other Staff member. You will be entitled to leave at the rate of 2.5 working days for every month of service completed. The total of 15 days can be taken at any moment starting from the 2nd month; taking into account that if your internship is terminated earlier, the payment of the last stipend will be reduced accordingly. Any accumulated leave not taken during the contractual period will not be paid. In case of sickness, you must notify your division and HR immediately, and if you are absent for more than two daysyou must provide the organization with a medical certificate. Unauthorized absences will be deducted from the leave entitlement.
➤ Insurance: • You are responsible for your own health and accident insurance. You are, however, covered for accident insurance for occupational risks (invalidity/death) during the period of your internship. The monthly premium for this insurance amounts to 0.25% of your remuneration and is paid by NATO. • If you are a citizen of the EU, you may request a European Health Citizenship Card to your insurer (https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=559&langId=en). • You will be required, upon joining, to provide evidence that you have adequate health insurance coverage.
➤ Obligations and Responsibilities: You are required to exercise the utmost discretion in respect of facts and information that come to your attention during your internship. You remain covered by this obligation after the internship. The Organization reserves the right to terminate the internship and take action against any intern who does not comply with this obligation. You are not permitted to borrow files from registries. The Head of Division/Office will assess the need for access to classified information in both paper and electronic form.
➤ Security Requirements: Depending on the type of work to be performed, participation in an internship will normally be subject to receipt of an appropriate security clearance from your national authorities. You may join the Organization only after the necessary clearance has been obtained. To ensure that you demonstrate the proper attitude and behaviour and are aware of the different security regulations that apply to your internship, a security briefing will be given during the first weeks of your internship; attendance is mandatory for all interns.
➤ National Programmes, Scholarships: National programmes are run in parallel to the NATO Internship Programme. The Delegations and/or national programme coordinators are responsible for establishing their own rules on the payment of such interns joining the Organization; they will not be paid by NATO or covered by any insurance provided by the Organization. In order to manage the influx of all interns in the IS workforce, Delegations/national programme coordinators must inform the Internship Programme Coordinator of all interns joining the Organization. Such interns may participate in all activities offered by the NATO Internship Programme, depending on available space. Internship Guide 13 Should you be joining the Organization on a scholarship or grant, you must complete a special application process. In this case you are not bound by NATO’s application and onboarding deadlines but will nevertheless be subject to the same eligibility criteria as NATO interns. All the regulations – except those on remuneration – would then apply to you as well.
➤ Future Employment: Internships are not directly linked to recruitment. However, at the end of their internship, interns may apply to temporary and staff positions as all external candidates.
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