UNICEF continues to play a pivotal role in ensuring that children and young people affected by crisis are not left behind. One such effort is the CESTY (Pathways) Programme in Czechia, a flagship initiative supporting Ukrainian refugee youth as they navigate education, skills development, and pathways into decent employment.
As the programme enters a critical transition phase, UNICEF is seeking a Consultant for Pathways (CESTY) Programme Sustainability, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to long-term, system-level impact for refugee youth.
This home-based consultancy, open to national consultants in Czechia, will run from February to July 2026 for a total of 73 working days, under UNICEF’s Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO). The assignment is ideal for professionals with experience in humanitarian response, youth programming, education, and labour market integration who are passionate about sustainability, coordination, and government ownership.
UNICEF’s Mission: For Every Child, Education
UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories, striving every day to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them reach their full potential. Education is central to this mission—particularly in emergencies, where conflict and displacement disrupt learning, livelihoods, and young people’s futures.
In Czechia, UNICEF has been supporting one of Europe’s largest refugee responses following the arrival of Ukrainian families fleeing war. Among them are tens of thousands of adolescents and young people whose education and career trajectories have been profoundly affected.
The Youth Situation in Czechia
As of November 2025, nearly 90,000 Ukrainian refugee youth aged 15–24 were living in Czechia under temporary protection. While many young children have been absorbed into primary education systems, adolescents and youth face unique and complex barriers, including:
- Limited access to secondary and tertiary education
- Language challenges
- Pressure to work to support families
- Risks of labour exploitation
- Mental health and psychosocial stress
- Interrupted learning and skills development
If left unaddressed, these challenges can have long-term consequences, not only for individual young people but also for future reconstruction efforts in Ukraine.
The CESTY (Pathways) Programme: A Coordinated Response
To respond to these needs, UNICEF implemented the CESTY (Pathways) Programme during 2024–2025. The programme was designed to create inclusive, coordinated pathways for refugee youth to:
- Access education and training
- Develop relevant skills
- Transition into quality first jobs
CESTY is implemented in partnership with key Czech institutions, including the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Interior, alongside civil society organizations, academia, private sector actors, and youth themselves.
Rather than operating as a standalone project, CESTY focuses on systems strengthening, ensuring that tools, methodologies, and partnerships can continue beyond UNICEF’s direct involvement.
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Why Sustainability Matters Now
With the planned closure of UNICEF’s Refugee Response Office in Czechia at the end of 2025, ensuring sustainability has become the programme’s top priority. Significant progress has already been made:
- CESTY tools and resources are being integrated into government systems and standard services
- Regional Integration Centres, Labour Offices, and ministries are assuming ownership of programme components
- Education and teacher-training materials developed under CESTY are being embedded into pre-service and in-service training
- Ethical employment tools and “know your rights” materials are being institutionalized
- Psychosocial support and Ukrainian-language services continue through national structures
Despite these achievements, important gaps remain—particularly around coordination, monitoring, private sector engagement, and formal handover processes. This is where the consultancy becomes critical.
Purpose of the Consultancy
The Consultant for Pathways (CESTY) Programme Sustainability will provide technical and coordination support to ensure that CESTY’s approaches, partnerships, and innovations are fully embedded within national systems.
The consultant will accompany the transition during a period of government and institutional change, helping to safeguard continuity of services for refugee youth while strengthening long-term ownership by national partners. The role also contributes to regional knowledge sharing, ensuring that lessons from Czechia inform Pathways programming across Europe and Central Asia.
Key Responsibilities and Scope of Work
Under the supervision of the Programme Manager (Pathways), ECARO, the consultant will work closely with education and emergency teams and a wide range of partners. Core responsibilities include:
- Monitoring implementation of sustainability measures agreed in 2025
- Supporting the development and negotiation of UNICEF’s exit strategy from CESTY
- Co-facilitating the CESTY Programme Coordination Platform with government ministries, civil society, and IOM
- Supporting youth participation mechanisms through Regional Integration Centres
- Coordinating private sector engagement to expand ethical employment opportunities
- Accompanying the institutionalization of labour exploitation prevention tools
- Facilitating the handover of CESTY communication and digital assets (including cesty.space)
- Contributing to regional Pathways learning and best-practice exchange
- Delivering a comprehensive final report with sustainability recommendations
The work is structured around clear deliverables, with regular reporting milestones between February and July 2026.
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Who Should Apply?
This consultancy is open to professionals who meet the following minimum requirements:
- A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in social sciences, humanities, development planning, evaluation, or related fields
- At least two years of relevant professional experience
- Experience in humanitarian response programming
- Demonstrated experience coordinating support for Ukrainian refugee youth in Czechia.
- Prior experience working with UNICEF or another UN agency
- Fluency in English and Czech
Beyond technical skills, UNICEF seeks candidates who embody its CRITAS values—Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability—and who can work collaboratively in complex, evolving environments.
A Commitment to Inclusion and Ethics
UNICEF is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applications are encouraged from candidates of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals. Reasonable accommodation is available throughout the recruitment and assignment period.
All consultants are expected to adhere to UNICEF’s zero-tolerance policies on misconduct and child safeguarding, and successful candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
Apply Now
If you are passionate about youth inclusion, education-to-employment pathways, and sustainable humanitarian programming, this consultancy offers a meaningful opportunity to make a lasting impact.
