Active since 2018, Y-MED aims to promote circular migration pathways and foster the circulation of skills in the Mediterranean region. The project gives students and fresh graduates from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya the opportunity to develop their skills through a six-month internship programme in Italy. At the end of the internship, the interns return to their home countries and labour markets where they can apply the know-how acquired during their experience in Italy. The project is funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Autonomous Region Friuli Venezia Giulia, and it is implemented by the International Organization for Migration.

 

2024-2025 Edition

Information for internship candidates

What is covered by the Y-MED project

Y-MED staff supports each candidate through every phase: pre-departure, internship and return. The project covers the following costs: 

  • Visa-related costs; 
  • Health insurance; 
  • Pre-Departure Orientation and Italian language course in the country of origin; 
  • Travel to/from Italy; 
  • Lodging (single room in shared accommodation); 
  • Internship allowance (paid by the hosting company). 

Eligibility requirements 

Candidates to the 2024-2025 edition must meet all the following requirements to be considered eligible:

  • Be a citizen and resident of Egypt, Libya, Morocco or Tunisia. Candidates holding Italian nationality are not eligible, even if they have dual citizenship.
  • Be either enrolled in the final academic year of a University degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent) or have graduated in the last 12 months (from the deadline of the application).
  • Born on or after 1 January 1995 (1 January 1994 only for Libyan candidates).
  • Be fluent in English; or be fluent in French and have a basic knowledge of English or Italian.
  • Be enrolled or have graduated in one of the sectors indicated in the application procedure. 

Professional sectors 

The Y-MED project foresees the activation of internships in the following sectors: 

  • Egypt: Information Communication Technology (ICT) or mechanical engineering;
  • Libya: ICT, mechanical and civil engineering, architecture, graphic design, blue economy (fisheries);
  • Morocco: automotive and mechatronics;
  • Tunisia: tourism development, energy engineering, textile, fashion and clothing.

How to apply 

Application procedures differ depending on the country of residence. For information and updates on the selection process, you should refer to the online platforms of the IOM offices in your respective country of origin:

Timeframe

The tentative timeframe for the 2024-2025 edition of Y-MED is as follows: 

  • April 2024-January 2025: application period (varies between country of origin);
  • July 2024-February 2025: selection of candidates;
  • November 2024-April 2025: approval of internships at the regional institutions in Italy;
  • August 2024-April 2025: Italian language course in country of origin (the timeline differs between Egypt and Libya);
  • April 2025: Pre-Departure Orientation in country of origin;
  • May-October 2025: internship in Italy;
  • November 2025: return and job placement support in country of origin.

Important information 

During the job placement phase, IOM’s role is to support selected candidates in the job search with activities that include, but are not limited to, training on soft skills and promotion of their profiles among companies in the country of origin. While IOM strives to do its best to facilitate this, it is important to know that securing a job at the end of the internship is not among the objectives of the project. At the same time, if at the end of the internship participants are offered a job by the company in Italy, all the administrative procedures related to this process fall outside the scope of the Y-MED project. Finally, please also note that internships might take place in any Region in Italy, depending on where the company is based.

Contacts 

IOM Italy team: migrationdevelopmentitaly@iom.int 

Information for companies

Would you like to participate as a company? Please note that only companies based in Italy can take part in the project. Click here for more information.