Education Specialist, NO3, Beijing, China # 534195

UNICEF China is looking for an Education Specialist who will support in managing the progress on result 2 and 3 of the new country program (2021-25). The new education program embraces key strategic shifts and will have a renewed focus on upstream engagement and policy work. It will strategically focus on evidence generation and research, policy analysis, advocacy for children’s rights and adaptation of international evidence to China’s context.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a champion

UNICEF in China promotes policies and laws that better deliver on children's rights. We have about 100 staff members working with the Government of China and other partners to ensure that the benefits of the country's development reach the most impoverished children. And we share what we learn with others.

The Education Section works with the Government of China and our partners, communities and parents, to provide the country’s most disadvantaged children with learning opportunities that will change their lives. We help to strengthen China’s education system, so that it addresses the needs of the most excluded and vulnerable children, including those with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and rural and urban poor, while ensuring that girls and boys have the same opportunities. We also promote nurturing environments that ensure that children develop into well-rounded individuals, by meeting their physical, cognitive, creative and social and emotional needs.

To learn more about what we do, please visit http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzU5ODg1NDcxMg==.html

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance and supervision of the Chief, Education, the Specialist will support in managing the progress on result 2 and 3 of the new country program (2021-25). The new education program embraces key strategic shifts and will have a renewed focus on upstream engagement and policy work. It will strategically focus on evidence generation and research, policy analysis, advocacy for children’s rights and adaptation of international evidence to China’s context. There will also be a shift from child-friendly schools to child-friendly education systems, scaling-up of adolescent programs, particularly integrating life skills into the secondary TVET reform process and expanding alternative learning pathways for out-of-school adolescents.

To be specific, the main responsibilities include the following -

2. Design and update the situation analysis for the education program, with particular focus on access, quality and skills acquisition for in and out-of-school adolescents to guide UNICEF’s strategic policy, advocacy, intervention and development efforts on adolescents’ education and skills programing.
3. Provide technical guidance and operational support to MoE and other partners to adapt/develop a comprehensive, age-appropriate and gender-responsive life-skills/transferable-skills framework, provincial plans and implementation strategies across the general education and secondary vocational education, applying UNICEF’s strategic approaches, processes and evidence-based practices.
4. Develop comprehensive strategies in partnership with MoE and other partners - mandated to provide skills training to out-of-school adolescents - to strengthen their data collection system and develop profiles of out-of-school adolescents to inform alternative learning and skills program for out-of-school adolescents.
5. Facilitate policy dialogue with and capacity building of national and provincial governments to ensure their commitment to provide relevant alternative and flexible education/learning for out-of-school adolescents, that lead to assessment and certification
6. Targeted capacity development of national and sub-national level authorities to improve education planning to collect data on children with special needs, including disabilities, and investments with a focus on improved learning and skills building.
7. Effective programme monitoring and evaluations and reporting to improve programme performance and prepare technical and program status reports timely.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Education (preferred) or other field such as economics, psychology and sociology). A first University Degree in the relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

• At least 5 to 8 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in Education programme planning, management, and/or research, particularly focusing on adolescents’ education and skills programing is required.

• Experience in system-wide approaches in Education is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English and Chinese is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our full competency framework at

https://www.unicef.cn/en/careers-at-unicef#conditions

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.