Transition Project
The goal of the Cambridge Mastercard Foundation Transition Project is to facilitate Scholars’ transition into the workforce for impact across Africa and beyond. Designed to mitigate barriers to meaningful employment, the Transition Project has been tailored to provide support that takes into consideration our scholars varied career trajectories.
The Transition's support framework includes four pathways for support:
1. Graduate Placements / Internships
The Cambridge Mastercard Foundation Transition Project supports scholars who are in the early years of their career journeys with robust skill-building and professional development training to enable them secure experiential learning opportunities to facilitate transition into the workforce. The graduate placement pathway offers Cambridge Mastercard Foundation scholars the opportunity to grow personally and develop their careers through meaningful engagement. Activities supported include but are not limited to working in corporate, development agencies, NGO's and Research Institutions. Scholars who opt for a Graduate placement will be able to pursue this with the help of an internship award. While placements in African based organisations are preferred and are guaranteed an award, Africa-facing organisations out of the continent will be given consideration.
2. Direct Employment
The Transition Project provides career upscaling support for scholars who already have significant work experience and may not require experiential learning. Through the transition project, scholars will be able to access career coaches who would guide the scholars on goal setting, career planning and strategy, effective job search techniques and networking platforms.
3. Entrepreneurship and Employment Creation Projects
The Cambridge Mastercard Foundation's Transition's Fund provides opportunities for Scholars to participate in an entrepreneurship project competition. Scholars can enter the competition either as individuals or in teams. This project provides students interested in social innovation and entrepreneurship with the opportunity to develop and submit a proposal for investment. Scholars interested in this route will receive entrepreneurship training and support, and professional mentorship. The (proposed) venture must have a lead and must be based in the African continent. Guidelines for the entrepreneurship fund are available in the Scholar's Area, which is password protected (raven login).
4. Continuous Studies Support (PHD)
We are developing a network of mentors to support Mastercard Foundation Scholars who are interested pursuing a PHD. If you are interested in getting involved in this network of mentors, we would love to hear from you! Mentors will provide support with proposal review, feedback, mock interviews and other tips.