Program Features

Each young professional is assigned to a World Bank Group unit and s/he is expected to make significant contributions to the organization while settling in and developing a better understanding of its work and policies. At the end of the first year, the young professional will undertake a “stretch/exposure assignment”, which is a task or project beyond their current level of knowledge and skills, challenging and removing them from their comfort zone, in order to deliver learning and develop skills. The stretch assignment could be cross-support for another unit, global practice or a complete rotation between units. In other words, the WBG YPP seeks to offer the young professionals the opportunity to gain a more holistic vision of the Bank.

The first two years of the World Bank Group YPP comprise curriculum development, which was structured to ensure that the new young professionals develop the organization’s mentality, quickly acquire the knowledge required to understand and contribute to the WBG and strengthen the competences required for the position (collaboration, leadership, integrated thinking and innovation skills).

Curriculum development covers various learning activities, such as on-board training, e-learning, discussions with WBG leaders, leadership training, career development talks and networking opportunities.

When they start working at the WBG, the young professionals receive their first two-week training course, which seeks to get them acquainted with the new organization and provides an overview of its operations.

WBG YPs start the program as one cohort in Washington, D.C., where they engage in intensive training on the fundamentals of leadership and operations at the World Bank, IFC and MIGA, and learn how to identify opportunities to collaborate for joint impact. During the two-year curriculum, YPs also engage in mandatory rotations, where their skills can be developed and applied across the business. A rotation is an assignment in another area of our business with the objective of developing new technical or regional skills, adapting to new ways of doing business, expanding professional networks and exploring placement options for final posts.

WBG YPs will be expected to participate in at least one rotation within their home institution, while some will engage in additional rotations in another institution (the World Bank, IFC, or MIGA). Field-based rotations will be strongly encouraged.