Young graduates in law, journalism, politics and social sciences have until 22 May to apply for a paid six-month placement inside one of Freetown’s most prominent diplomatic missions
The European Union Delegation to Sierra Leone has opened applications for a funded traineeship of up to six months for young graduates interested in international relations and diplomatic affairs. The placement, based within the Delegation’s Political, Press and Information Section, is situated at Leicester Peak, Regent, Freetown, and offers a rare entry point into the world of EU diplomacy for Sierra Leonean nationals at the very start of their professional lives.
The traineeship carries a monthly financial grant and is targeted squarely at recent graduates who hold a Bachelor’s degree in Law, Journalism, Political Science, or the Social Sciences, and who have accumulated less than one year of professional experience since completing their studies. Sierra Leonean citizenship is a firm requirement for eligibility. The deadline for applications is 22 May 2026 meaning interested candidates have only days remaining to act.
The opportunity sits within one of the busiest and most consequential sections of the EU Delegation. The Political, Press and Information unit manages the Delegation’s public communications, monitors the political environment, engages with media, and tracks developments in governance, human rights, and civil society the very terrain that young Sierra Leoneans studying law and journalism are already being trained to navigate. For a graduate with ambitions in international affairs or investigative reporting, the exposure inside such a section would be substantial.
The partnership between the European Union and Sierra Leone has been active since 1976, when the EU first opened its Delegation in Freetown, and has grown more diverse and stronger in the decades since. The EU’s current cooperation priorities in Sierra Leone include governance and democracy, human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment, and inclusive economic growth — areas in which a trainee placed in the Political, Press and Information Section would be directly engaged.
The EU has committed EUR 245 million for its partnership and cooperation with Sierra Leone for the period 2021 to 2024, reflecting a relationship that goes well beyond ceremonial diplomacy. Traineeships of this kind are one of the mechanisms through which the Delegation draws local talent into contact with that work building a generation of Sierra Leoneans who understand EU policy from the inside.
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Opportunities of this nature are infrequent and intensely competitive. Young people who meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to prepare their applications immediately, given the closeness of the deadline. Candidates should verify the full requirements and application procedure directly through the EU Delegation’s official channels and the European External Action Service vacancy platform at eeas.europa.eu.
Deadline: 22 May 2026. Based in Freetown. Open to Sierra Leonean citizens only.
