Economic Development Intern (Summer 2026)

International Rescue Committee•Silver Spring, MD

3d•Onsite

About The Position

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. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future. Scope of work: The Economic Empowerment program assists refugees to become economically self-sufficient by providing career development training and financial coaching. Our program assists clients in obtaining education, apprenticeships, jobs, financial coaching and microloans to promote self-sufficiency. The intern will work closely with the Economic Empowerment team to help promote client economic growth and encourage clients to work towards their long-term goals.

Requirements

Self-motivated; able to work independently
Ability to collaborate with fellow interns to create/teach trainings. This is a team-focused internship.
Excellent communication and writing skills
Works well in a fast-paced environment and adapts quickly to change
Confident in public speaking or interest to develop these skills
Strong interest in refugee and asylee issues as well as in workforce development
Three month minimum. Required 20+ hours/week.
Preferred 35+ hours/week.
Preference to current students and recent graduates.

Nice To Haves

Language skills in Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Farsi, French, Kinyarwanda, Spanish, Hindi or Swahili are a plus

Responsibilities

Work directly with IRC Employment Specialists and Financial Coaches to implement and monitor performance on the Career Development Program
Teach Advanced Job Readiness Trainings including: introduction to career development, business writing, networking, interview preparation and financial literacy
Counsel and guide clients through the process of working towards long-term career goals by providing: individual trainings, resume and cover letter preparation, one-on-one job application assistance, etc.
Provide group and individual trainings aimed at successful workforce integration
Accompany clients to job preparation activities and interviews; coach clients on interview preparation
Assist clients in setting up bank accounts, teach financial literacy workshops and assist clients with loan applications
Assist clients in completing new hire paperwork, employment program documentation and other administrative tasks as needed
Audit employment program files to ensure documentation adheres to program requirements and update program databases regularly
Advocate for clients’ rights in the labor market by providing references for clients and meeting with employers to educate them about the benefits of hiring IRC clients
Other duties as identified by Employment Specialists

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163 per month, dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

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