UNV Jobs: National UN Volunteer Specialist in IT-Related Training and Employment

Terms of Reference

National UN Volunteer Specialist in IT-Related Training and Employment

under the partnership between

The United Nations Development Programme and The Cisco
Networking Academy Programme

Application Procedures:
Interested candidates should email a detailed curriculum vitae
(CV) and an application letter (both in English) to unv@undp.org.vn
or send by post to the below address with subject marked "Application f
or the post of UN Volunteers Specialist in IT-Related Training
and Employment":

UNV Office
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
25-29 Phan Boi Chau Street
Hanoi

Deadline: 25 April 2005.

Preamble

This post is a United Nations Volunteers Programme
Assignment and is based on the values of free will,
commitment, engagement and solidarity which are the
foundations of volunteerism. Volunteering brings benefit to
the individual volunteer. It makes important contributions,
economically, as well as socially. It contributes to
creating social cohesion and capital, through helping to
build trust and reciprocity among citizens.

The United National Volunteers (UNV) is the UN Organisation
that support sustainable human development globally through
the promotion of volunteerism and mobilization of
volunteers. It serves the causes of peace and development
through enhancing opportunities for participation by all
people. It is universal, inclusive and embraces volunteer
actions in all its diversity.

Volunteerism is diverse and is embedded in all cultures and
traditions. In this context, as a United Nations Volunteer
you are encouraged and expected to relate to local
volunteerism and to be identified with the concept. You are
except to regard your national colleagues as peers and
together uphold trust as volunteers among yourselves and
within the communities and the organization you are assigned
to.

Background

The United Nations Development Programme in Viet Nam has
formed a partnership with the Cisco Networking Academy
Program in order to expand IT-related training and
employment opportunities for students and disadvantaged
youth.
The UN Joint Programme on Youth: Young Viet Nam

The United Nations Development Programme actively
contributes to the UN Joint Programme on Youth, which is
called Young Viet Nam. Young Viet Nam is a UN Country Team
(UNCT) initiative that aims to improve and expand the policy
environment, interventions, services, resources and
opportunities for young people in Viet Nam. Young Viet Nam
is an strategic collaborative project that will add value to
the current activities and investments of individual UN
agencies by promising to draw together common themes and
compile evidence to support clear UN advocacy messages about
youth policy and programming. It also identifies areas for
collaborative UN work like mass media, youth participation,
advocacy and development of policy papers.

The objectives of the Young Viet Nam programme include:

- To increase awareness of the general public about the
opportunities and risks that young people in Viet Nam face
and call to action adults and policy makers.

- Advocate a more extensive and supportive policy context
for young people especially in access to education,
recreation, juvenile justice, employment and health with the
overall aim to promote their social, civil, economic and
cultural rights.

- Support the delivery of practical prevention/education
programs especially around issues and behaviors that result
in early deaths, illness, injury and lost quality of life.

- Coordinate models and methods for information sharing
about youth in Viet Nam.

- Promote opportunities for the active participation and
voluntary involvement of young people in various aspects of
their life and in society.

- Demonstrate via commitment that young people are an
important area for investment.

The Young Viet Nam Programme has five strategies:

1. Influence policy and public advocacy

2. Research and dissemination of strategic information

3. Provision of information to young people

4. Partnership and capacity building for UN System and other
partners on youth

5. Increased youth participation and creating supportive
environment

The Cisco Networking Academy Program

The Cisco Networking Academy Program is a comprehensive,
e-learning program, which provides students with the
Internet technology skills essential in a global economy.
The Networking Academy program delivers web-based content,
on-line assessment, student performance tracking, hands-on
labs, instructor training and support, and preparation for
industry-standard certifications. Launched in 1997, there
are now over 10,000 Networking Academies in 152 countries.
Over 430,000 students are enrolled in Academies in high
schools, colleges and universities, technical schools,
community-based organizations, and other educational
programs around the world.

The Networking Academy program is a powerful development
tool, because it employs the Internet and education -- the
two great equalizers. The Internet is capable of
eliminating the time, geographic, socioeconomic, racial and
ethnic boundaries that can limit access to education and
advancement. E-learning is highly effective in reaching
disadvantaged and at-risk communities worldwide. Through
the Gender Initiative, Cisco and Cisco Learning Institute
work with partners to help increase female enrollment in the
program, by identifying best practices in female recruitment
and retention and also establishing projects that create
all-female Academies or all-female classes.
http://gender.ciscolearning.org

The Networking Academy program curriculum teaches students,
at educational institutions and in-transition workers
in-demand, Internet technology skills including a broad
range of topics from basics on how to build a network to how
to build a web site and more complex IT concepts such as
applying advanced troubleshooting tools. Combining
instructor-led, online education with hands-on laboratory
exercises, the Networking Academy curriculum prepares
students for lifelong opportunities in the real world.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) coursework is a
cornerstone of the Networking Academy curriculum.
www.cisco.com/edu/academy

Bringing the Cisco Networking Academy Program to developing
countries has allowed their students the same educational
opportunities that are currently being offered to students
in other countries around the world. Providing a workforce
with the skills to design, build and maintain the Internet
infrastructure is a critical step to participation in the
global economy. This is a program that can assist offering
sustainable development and accelerate a country’s
progression and full integration into the world economy.

The Ba Vi Rehabilitation Centre

In Hanoi, there are nearly 14,000 people using illicit
drugs. The Hanoi Sub-Department for Social Evil Prevention
manages 5 rehabilitation centres. Center No.2 in Ba Vi is
for female residents. In this centre, there are 3 target
groups: commercial sex workers, drug users, and people
living with HIV. There is considerable overlap between these
groups. There are 500-600 female residents in this center.

In the Ba Vi Rehabilitation Centre, residents are provided
with the following to reintegrate in the community upon
leaving the centre:

- Medical examination and treatment

- Ethics/behaviour training

- Vocational training

Currently, the women are trained in low income jobs such as
embroidery, sewing and some traditional handicrafts. The
concern of HDSEP’s management is how to prepare these women
for high income jobs when they leave the centre. If they
cannot find a good job and the salary does not correspond to
what they were used to earn, it will not help them change
their life.

Scope of Work

The UN Volunteer will work under the management of the
directors of the Ba Vi Rehabilitation Centre in cooperation
with the UNDP and other UN Agencies, and the Cisco
Networking Academy. They will be responsible to set up,
manage and implement a pilot IT-training and employment
project for the residents in the centre.

The main areas of work for the UN Volunteer will be:

- To develop and provide job orientation services

There is a clear lack of understanding of the job market –
especially with regards to jobs that become available after
a short training course – among the residents at the centre.
This indicates the need for a service that provides
information on jobs to the residents in the centre, combined
with a referral service to vocational training programmes
both in and outside the centre. The job orientation
programme should focus strongly, but not only, on IT related
jobs in order to ensure that the residents who are serious
in pursuing IT training, placements and jobs have the right
expectations from the outset.

- To identify IT related job placements for when the
residents leave the centre

A placement with an organization is the key factor for the
residents to find alternative employment. Companies or
development organisations should be contacted about the
possibility of taking on graduates on short-term placements,
as a first step in the labour market. This will involve
exploring partnerships with organizations such as SMARTWork
could provide contacts with firms that promote HIV/AIDS
awareness training and anti-discrimination measures. The
National UN Volunteer will also work with the UN Youth Task
Force that is working on developing public-private
partnerships and approach the same companies that have
demonstrated a commitment to Corporate Social
Responsibility. In addition UN Agencies should be approached
to fund placements under the UNV Communtity Exchange
Programme, as UN Volunteers under that programme do not need
the regular high qualifications and receive a modest living
allowance that would not exceed what they are likely to earn
in future jobs.

- To organize and deliver the IT Essentials, and possible a
CCNA, training course

Because IT exposure among the residents is generally quite
low, the IT Essentials course is the most appropriate. In
addition, a CCNA course could be run for those of a
competent level. Once graduated from the IT Essentials
course, they can decide whether or not they want to continue
with the CCNA.

- Testing and selection

A test should be conducted among interested residents to
ensure that they would be able to complete the course. Of
those who want to take part in the training, their selection
could be determined by the length of their stay and their
English and IT skills. A screening process will also be
needed after to course to identify students that qualify for
job placements.

- To organise English Language training

An English course will be run at the same time as IT
training, in order to really improve the employability of
the residents. This task involves managing volunteer
teachers of English to come and teach at the centre.

Tenure

This will be a full-time position for one year, starting in
June 2005.

Duty Station

50% at the Cisco Networking Academy at the Hanoi University
of Technology, 1 Dai Co Viet, Hanoi, Viet Nam

50% at the Ba Vi Rehabilitation Centre, Ba Vi, Viet Nam
(basic accommodation and meals will be provided at the
centre)

Reporting to

For the work in Hanoi: Mr. Nguyen Trung Dung, Manager, Cisco
Networking Academy at the Hanoi University of Technology

For the work in Ba Vi: Ms Nguyen Thi Phuong, Director, Ba Vi
Rehabilitation Centre Centre

Qualifications

Education background:

- University or college degree in education, business
management, development, a social science or related field;

Working experiences:

- At least 5 years of relevant, proven working experience in
a combination of areas such as education, HIV/AIDS, drug
abuse, IT, employment services, business management and/or
other relevant issues;

- Good experience in partnership building is required as
well as experience in working with multiple partners;

- Experience in teaching or training is required;

- Previous volunteer experience is desired

Skills:

- Good planning skills

- Excellent written and oral presentation skills in English
and Vietnamese

- Strong communication skills

- Ability to work in a multi-cultural team environment;
ability to work and live in the rehabilitation centre

- The necessary computer skills with competence in MS Word,
MS Excel, Power Point, Netscape/MS Outlook are required.

Other

- Demonstrated commitment to the values and principles of
volunteerism; and to the HIV response.

To facilitate co-ordination regarding the introduction of OSS SW in Vietnam

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