African Union Youth Volunteer Corps (CJV-UA) – Deadline Extended

Applications are now open for the 2026 cohort of the African Union Youth Volunteer Corps (AU-YVC). The program is looking for young African professionals willing to serve as AU volunteers for a 12-month stint. The mandatory use of the AU’s specific CV template is not a suggestion. It’s a rule. Ignore it at your own peril.

The program aims to deepen the status of young people as key actors in Africa’s development targets and goals, enhancing their participation in policy development as well as design and implementation of relevant interventions towards the African Union’s Agenda 2063, ‘The Africa we want’. In other words, they want people who can do things, not just talk about them.

The AU youth volunteer program will bring people from different places together to share skills, knowledge, creativity, and learning to build a more integrated, prosperous, and peaceful continent driven by its citizens. The volunteering opportunities are intended to build professionalism and a sense of responsibility among the participants, thus enhancing their employability. That’s the theory, anyway.

Programme Details

• Host institution: African Union Commission.
• Areas of Work: Various, across the AU’s work areas.
• Number of positions: 50.
• Duration: 12 months.
• Duty Station: Across AU Member States.
• Target group: Open to nationals of AU member states.

African Union Youth Volunteer Corps Benefits

The African Union Commission and its partners will cover the full costs of pre-deployment training and subsequent volunteer deployment for successful candidates. They are entitled to the following:

• Economy return air ticket from your hometown to your place of deployment;
• A modest monthly stipend to cover living expenses;
• Health insurance cover;
• AU Service Passport;
• Training and mentorship opportunities;
• Separation allowance on successful completion of twelve months of service.

African Union Youth Volunteer Corps Eligibility

To apply for this AU youth volunteer program, applicants have to meet the following criteria. They are quite specific:

1. Citizen of an AU Member State, whether you live on the continent or in the diaspora;
2. Aged between 18 – 35 years (you must be under 35 when you finish the 12 months, so do the math accordingly);
3. Have a post-secondary certified qualification (TVET, Bachelor’s, Master’s, etc. No transcripts, please);
4. Available to dedicate 12 months to volunteer work in 2026/27;
5. Willing to live and work in another AU Member State;
6. Proficient in at least one AU working language (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, Spanish);
7. Have at least one year of verifiable volunteering experience and one year of professional work experience.

Furthermore, the program is looking for motivated young leaders who embody the following qualities. If this sounds like you, keep reading:

• Embodies the spirit of Pan-Africanism;
• Committed to Africa’s shared values of integration, peace and development;
• Embodies the spirit of service and servant leadership;
• A high degree of professionalism;
• Solution-oriented and can demonstrate results;
• Able to work and thrive in challenging, multicultural settings, including post-conflict environments;
• Respectful towards cultural, intellectual, religious and linguistic diversities;
• Strong interpersonal and organizing skills;
• Flexible, independent, and self-motivated.

How to Apply for the African Union Youth Volunteer Corps

Interested applicants who would like to apply for this Africa opportunity program should follow the steps below:

1. Go to the AU careers website at jobs.au.int. Click on “Search Jobs” and then on the AUYVC post. If you already have an account, log in. If not, create one.
2. Fill out your personal information on the online portal.
3. Attach the following documents:
   • Your updated professional CV, using the mandatory AU CV template (Click here to download the template);
   • Bio page of your passport (or national ID);
   • Copy of your highest completed qualification (no transcripts);
   • A letter of recommendation (not older than 2 years) attesting to your leadership qualities.
4. Attach your cover letter. In your cover letter, please respond to the following questions:
   • Why do you want to become an African Union Youth Volunteer?
   • What makes you the best candidate for AU-YVC?
   • What skills are you bringing to the AU-YVC and your host organization?
5. Review and submit your application before the deadline.

The deadline to submit applications has been extended to April 26, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EAT. For more details on the African Union Youth Volunteer Corps (AU-YVC), please visit the official page. And no, the AU does not charge a fee to process applications. If someone asks you for money, run the other way.