THEMATIC AREA
Training and competencies for humanitarian work
Breaking into the humanitarian world in the health sector requires a combination of academic training, technical competencies and practical experience that is not always easy to build. This section provides guidance on key professional competencies, what to study, which languages and courses to prioritise, and how to access relevant, high-quality volunteering and internship opportunities.
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What training is recommended for working in NGOs and humanitarian action?
Breaking into the humanitarian and development sector is generally not easy. Most positions require a strong combination of relevant professional experience and academic training, linked to the professional competencies that each role demands.
Professional competencies are the common language in sector selection processes. Knowing which ones are most in demand for the positions that interest you most will help you clearly identify the path to follow in your academic training.
- Professional competencies are the behaviours, skills, and attributes that humanitarian organisations expect of their staff. They appear in all job descriptions and are key in selection processes, regardless of the technical profile.
- The core humanitarian competency framework groups six key domains: understanding the humanitarian context, accountability and results orientation, teamwork and collaborative relationships, safety, adaptation under pressure, and leadership.
- Alongside the core humanitarian competencies, there are specific technical frameworks for health and nutrition professionals in humanitarian contexts, developed by international bodies and leading sector agencies.
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- Most positions require a background in public health, international development, or project management, or a combination of the three.
- Public health master's degrees are the most common postgraduate qualification in the sector, although they tend to focus on the national context and address global and humanitarian health only superficially. Global health degrees cover the realities of low- and middle-income countries more thoroughly.
- Some master's degrees and diplomas in humanitarian action or international development combine project cycle management, humanitarian architecture, and field practice. The most recognised ones include up to several months of placement.
- In some countries, one-year intercalated degrees (BSc) in global health or disaster management are available to take during an undergraduate degree, an option that is practically unknown elsewhere.
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How to complement your training and gain the experience needed for entry-level NGO jobs?
A solid academic foundation is essential, but rarely covers everything that different positions require. Some may call for additional training in specific topics, depending on the type of projects involved. In addition, almost all organisations ask for multiple languages and at least a basic grounding in cross-cutting themes such as gender, mental health and psychosocial support, or protection, which are not always covered in depth in general courses.
That is not all. Even for the most junior positions in international development, a minimum of prior experience is usually required. Local volunteering and NGO internships are often the first point of contact with the sector, opening the doors to everything else, and can make all the difference in a junior profile.
- English is essential in virtually all international positions. French is key for working in West Africa. Arabic and Portuguese are desirable in certain contexts. You will need Spanish for most roles in Latin America.
- Platforms such as OpenWHO, Kaya, Disaster Ready, and UNICEF Agora offer very short, free courses on specific topics in humanitarian health and development cooperation. They are useful for addressing specific training gaps.
- Coursera, EdX, and FutureLearn offer more comprehensive courses from universities such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, covering topics such as global health, humanitarian emergencies, infectious diseases, and reproductive health.
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- Local volunteering can be a great first step: it allows you to develop key competencies such as teamwork, project management, and intercultural communication, and demonstrates genuine social commitment.
- Not all international volunteering is what it seems. Solidarity tourism is not the same as quality volunteering. If possible, it is better to look for accredited programmes such as the European Solidarity Corps or UN Volunteers, which offer training, expense coverage, and insurance.
- NGO internships are a valuable opportunity to get to know the sector from the inside and to make yourself known. When approaching an organisation, do not limit yourself to sending a CV: propose specific tasks you can carry out independently, even remotely.
- For experienced health professionals, additional options exist, including deployments as part of complete teams in response to humanitarian crises.
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Of course, you can also develop your competencies more independently and at your own pace
I am a strong advocate of learning and, in many cases, I believe it is a mistake to equate it with "taking courses". Anyone can progress independently: by reading, analysing, thinking, and even writing up ideas already worked through, especially when there is a clear intention behind what you want to learn and why. This does not lead to any certificate, but it is perfectly demonstrable in a technical test or an interview in an NGO selection process.
That is precisely what Salud Everywhere is here for. Do you already know everything you can explore at your own pace across its pages? From the foundations of humanitarian action, to the more practical aspects of project management, including of course reproductive rights and nutrition in emergencies. At the same time, you can of course start searching for jobs in humanitarian action and international development that interest you, and preparing your application.