Location: Multiple locations – Remote
Deadline: Jul 18, 2025
Job Description
WUSC Youth Advisory Council
Terms of Reference
WUSC is a Canadian global development organization working to catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for young people, with a focus on women and displaced people. WUSC’s new five-year strategy, WUSC 2030, cements its commitment to a world where all young people thrive and belong.
Central to our mission and vision is our commitment to ensuring that young people are active agents of change in shaping their futures, their communities, and our work. Youth voice and agency is one of our core values, and we are dedicated to listening to, respecting, amplifying, and valuing the perspectives and actions of young people. Further, we have identified the inclusion and participation of displaced young people as one of our six key strategic priorities for the next five years.
These priorities are not new for WUSC. Our new strategy builds on a history of over 100 years of addressing the unique, complex, and interconnected challenges facing young people – especially those young women, and people who have been forcibly displaced. During our long history, we have documented significant success and impact – hundreds of thousands of young people have been supported to access high quality education, to enter the workforce in dignified and fulfilling jobs, to start their own businesses, and to find a durable solution to their displacement.
While young people have always been central to our work and to our program design and delivery, for the first time we are seeking to create an organization-wide Youth Advisory Council that will work closely with Senior Management and the Board to advise WUSC on the effective integration of youth considerations in the organization and its activities.
Composition
The Youth Advisory Council will initially comprise five members aged 18 to 35 (at the time of application). This Council will be composed of diverse perspectives and backgrounds, with representation from different regions where we operate, and will prioritize the inclusion of young women (at least 50%) and individuals with lived refugee experience. Each member must demonstrate at least two of the following characteristics:
- Lived experience of displacement
- From a country in which WUSC has active operations
- Current or former participant of a WUSC program
- Demonstrated commitment to and passion for youth leadership
Membership of the Youth Advisory Council will be determined through an open and transparent process. Selection will be carried out by a diverse WUSC panel.
Key Competencies
- Ability to provide constructive feedback and advice
- Ability to work well in a team environment
- Commitment to youth leadership
- Commitment to WUSC’s mission and vision
- Demonstrated leadership in their communities
- Ability to work in one of the two official languages of WUSC : English and/or French
- Willingness to travel internationally
Mandate
- Provide recommendations on youth inclusion in the organization and its programs
- Act as influencers and ambassadors for WUSC
- Represent WUSC at various events and forums as requested
- Mobilize young people to support WUSC’s mission and vision
Roles and Responsibilities of Youth Advisory Council
- Dedicate approximately 5 hours a month to the Council
- Attend an in-person orientation and planning session
- Attend quarterly virtual meetings
- Work collaboratively with other Council members to provide input into WUSC’s programs, operations, and resources
- Act as ambassadors for WUSC within peer groups and at events when requested
Administration
- The Youth Advisory Council will report to WUSC’s Chief Executive Officer, and will provide advice to its management and Board
- The Youth Advisory Council will be required to comply with WUSC’s Code of Conduct
- WUSC reserves the right to dissolve the Council or remove and reappoint members as needed.
Term
The Youth Advisory Council will have an initial two-year mandate; terms may be renewable for up to three terms. Membership in the Council is entirely voluntary. Members will receive a modest honorarium in recognition of their contributions. Expenses related to participation in meetings or project activities, such as travel and accommodations, will be reimbursed.
** Version française ci-dessous ***
Conseil consultatif des jeunes de l’EUMC
Applications
WUSC will be accepting applications until July 18, 2025.
Applicants are asked to include a CV and a cover letter explaining why they are well suited to join the Council.
We encourage applications from diverse individuals. We value a variety of backgrounds, experiences, skills, and perspectives. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request for candidates participating in all aspects of the selection process.
Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.