The Mastercard Foundation Associates Program Cohort 2, implemented in partnership with Jobberman, is offering young professionals an opportunity to gain substantial workplace experience through 12-month paid placements with employers across selected West African countries.
The program is designed to help young people make the often difficult transition from education into meaningful employment. Rather than providing only short-term training, the Associates Program combines practical workplace exposure with professional development, employability training, mentorship, networking, and career-transition support.
The Mastercard Foundation describes the Associates Program as an initiative connecting young Africans with 12-month paid work placements while helping participants build leadership, employability, and entrepreneurship capabilities. More than 1,000 Associates across 22 countries have participated since 2023.
For the Jobberman-led phase, participating countries include Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, with Associates placed with employers offering entry-level professional opportunities.
Application Deadline: 21 October 2026
The current Cohort 2 application window is reported as running from 21 September 2026 to 21 October 2026.
About the Mastercard Foundation Associates Program
The Mastercard Foundation Associates Program was established to address a major challenge affecting young graduates across Africa: obtaining meaningful professional experience after completing their education.
Many graduates possess academic qualifications but find themselves competing for positions that already require prior workplace experience. The Associates Program seeks to bridge this gap by providing structured, longer-term opportunities in real organizations.
According to the Mastercard Foundation, the program connects young Africans with paid professional placements lasting 12 months and combines employment experience with employability development and mentorship.
The program is built around three broad stages:
- Recruitment and selection
- Placement into internship roles
- Transition pathways following the placement
The intention is therefore not simply to give participants temporary work. The broader objective is to strengthen their ability to move into sustainable and fulfilling employment after completing the program.
Jobberman’s Role in the Associates Program
Jobberman serves as a regional placement partner for the Mastercard Foundation Associates Program in Anglophone West Africa.
The Mastercard Foundation identifies Jobberman as one of its official regional placement partners alongside organizations supporting East Africa, Francophone Africa, Southern Africa, and remote placements.
Under the Jobberman component, participating employers provide Associates with meaningful workplace responsibilities, supervision, mentorship, and professional exposure.
For the expanded phase of the program, Jobberman states that participation covers:
- Nigeria
- Ghana
- Liberia
- Sierra Leone
- The Gambia
The organization describes the initiative as a 12-month professional development and placement program intended for early-career young professionals.
What Selected Associates Will Receive
The Mastercard Foundation Associates Program provides much more than access to a vacancy.
Successful applicants can benefit from a combination of workplace experience, structured professional development, mentorship, and financial support.
1. A 12-Month Professional Placement
One of the most significant features of the program is its duration.
Associates are placed in host organizations for approximately 12 months, allowing considerably more time to build meaningful professional competence than many traditional short-term internships.
The extended placement gives Associates an opportunity to:
- Understand workplace systems and processes
- Develop technical and professional skills
- Work on real organizational assignments
- Build professional relationships
- Demonstrate performance over an extended period
- Learn how organizations operate
- Gain references and relevant career experience
- Strengthen their prospects of longer-term employment
The Mastercard Foundation officially describes these opportunities as 12-month paid work placements.
2. Monthly Stipend Throughout the Placement
Selected Associates receive financial support while participating in the program.
According to the official applicant guidance, Associates receive a monthly stipend for the full 12-month period.
However, there is no single universal stipend amount. Payment varies according to factors including:
- Placement location
- Host country
- Industry
- Nature of the placement
The stipend is normally paid in the local currency of the country where the Associate is placed.
Applicants should therefore be cautious about unofficial websites or social media posts advertising a fixed stipend amount unless that amount is specifically stated in an individual vacancy.
3. Hands-On Professional Work Experience
The program emphasizes practical workplace learning.
Participants are expected to work within real organizations rather than simply complete classroom-based training.
This hands-on structure gives young professionals the opportunity to turn theoretical knowledge into practical competence.
Depending on the host employer and individual position, Associates may gain experience in areas such as:
- Administration
- Finance
- Human resources
- Marketing
- Communications
- Technology
- Business development
- Operations
- Project management
- Research
- Data
- Customer service
- Sales
- Development programs
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Other professional and technical functions
Individual responsibilities will vary according to the specific roles advertised through Jobberman’s Cohort 2 portal.
4. Leadership Skills Development
The Associates Program is intended to help participants become more capable professionals and future leaders.
The Mastercard Foundation specifically identifies leadership development as one of the major benefits of the program.
Through professional responsibilities, workplace feedback, mentorship, and structured development activities, participants can improve competencies such as:
- Decision-making
- Accountability
- Teamwork
- Professional communication
- Problem-solving
- Workplace ethics
- Initiative
- Adaptability
- Time management
- Stakeholder management
These competencies are valuable regardless of the particular sector in which an Associate eventually builds a career.
5. Employability Skills Development
A major objective of the program is improving employability.
Participants are expected to develop the capabilities needed to compete successfully for future employment opportunities.
The Mastercard Foundation’s applicant guidance confirms that employability training forms part of the Associates Program.
This can be especially important for recent graduates who may have strong academic backgrounds but limited exposure to professional recruitment and workplace expectations.
6. Entrepreneurship Skills Development
The program also incorporates entrepreneurship-related capability development.
This reflects the wider reality of the African employment landscape, where entrepreneurship and self-employment can represent important career pathways alongside formal employment.
Participants may therefore emerge from the program with stronger knowledge of how organizations operate, how value is created, and how professional skills can potentially be applied within entrepreneurial ventures.
The Mastercard Foundation officially lists entrepreneurship skill-building alongside leadership and employability development.
7. Mentorship
Mentorship is another core element of the program.
Associates gain access to professionals who can support their development and help them navigate workplace challenges.
Mentorship can help participants:
- Understand professional expectations
- Improve performance
- Receive career guidance
- Reflect on their strengths and weaknesses
- Navigate workplace relationships
- Develop career plans
- Identify future employment pathways
The Mastercard Foundation identifies mentorship and professional networking among the benefits available to Associates.
8. Professional Networking
Participants also gain access to professional networks.
These relationships can become particularly valuable after the placement ends.
Associates may interact with:
- Supervisors
- Managers
- Human resources professionals
- Fellow Associates
- Industry professionals
- Employers
- Mentors
- Mastercard Foundation network members
- Jobberman professionals
- Partner organizations
A professional network built through a year-long placement may assist participants with future employment, referrals, mentorship, collaborations, and career opportunities.
9. Career Transition Support
The Mastercard Foundation Associates Program does not treat the completion of an internship as the end of the participant journey.
Career-transition support is explicitly identified as part of the program.
The intention is to help Associates convert the skills and experience gained during the placement into longer-term career opportunities.
Host employers are also encouraged to consider retaining strong-performing Associates after the 12-month placement when possible.
Strong Focus on Long-Term Employment
One of the most important characteristics of the program is its emphasis on transitioning participants toward sustained employment rather than merely increasing the number of completed internships.
Jobberman’s earlier phase demonstrated this approach in practice. Reporting on the program’s expansion, Jobberman and its partners emphasized workplace learning, mentorship, performance reviews, career development, and support throughout Associates’ placements.
Employers are encouraged to give Associates meaningful assignments and opportunities to develop skills that remain relevant after the program.
Inclusive Employment Opportunities
Inclusion is a significant component of the Mastercard Foundation Associates Program.
The Foundation states that the program seeks participation from groups that can face additional barriers in accessing employment, including:
- Young women
- Persons with disabilities
- Refugees
- Internally displaced persons
Since the program began, its participant community has included individuals from these groups across multiple African countries.
Host organizations are expected to maintain safe, accessible, inclusive, and supportive workplaces for Associates.
How Host Employers Are Selected
Associates are not intended to be placed randomly with organizations.
Regional partners assess prospective employers to determine whether they can provide an appropriate professional experience.
According to the Mastercard Foundation, participating employers are evaluated based on factors including:
- Legal registration and operational status
- Workplace structure
- Clear reporting arrangements
- Supervision capacity
- Mentorship capacity
- Availability of necessary work resources
- Ability to provide a quality professional experience
Employers are expected to provide meaningful assignments, supervision, professional development, performance feedback, and a safe working environment.
Jobberman similarly states that host employers should have structured workplace reporting systems and sufficient capacity to give Associates meaningful work experience.
The PREP2SOAR Training Process
Submitting an application does not automatically result in placement.
Applications are first screened.
According to the official Mastercard Foundation applicant FAQ, candidates who are shortlisted are contacted by the appropriate regional placement partner.
Shortlisted applicants must then participate in mandatory PREP2SOAR training, which is designed to strengthen job readiness and prepare candidates for employer interviews.
This process means applicants should monitor their email closely after applying.
Missing an email requesting participation in training or another selection stage could potentially affect progression.
Recruitment and Selection Process
Although the exact recruitment process may vary between individual roles, the broader journey includes:
- Finding relevant Cohort 2 vacancies
- Reviewing individual job descriptions
- Submitting an application
- Initial application screening
- Shortlisting
- Mandatory PREP2SOAR preparation
- Employer consideration and interviews
- Placement with a participating employer
- Completion of the 12-month professional experience
- Career-transition support
Applicants should remember that simply meeting minimum eligibility conditions does not guarantee selection.
Host employers may require specific educational backgrounds, competencies, locations, or technical capabilities depending on the vacancy.
Physical, Hybrid and Remote Work Possibilities
The wider Associates Program allows candidates to indicate preferences for:
- Physical/on-site placements
- Hybrid placements
- Remote placements
However, applicants are not guaranteed their preferred working arrangement.
Candidates interested in remote opportunities must be able to confirm that they have:
- A personal laptop
- Stable internet connectivity
- A reliable electricity supply
These requirements are included in the Mastercard Foundation’s applicant guidance.
Applicants should also apply for positions located in their own country of residence unless the opportunity is explicitly advertised as remote.
Relocation Costs
Prospective applicants should pay particular attention to placement location.
The Mastercard Foundation states that applicants should already satisfy the legal requirements allowing them to work in the city or country where the position is based because relocation expenses are not covered for location-based placements.
Applicants should therefore avoid applying for positions in another country unless they already possess the appropriate legal authorization to work there or the role specifically allows remote participation.
Application Documents
Applicants should prepare an updated CV or résumé.
According to the official applicant FAQ, the résumé can be uploaded in either:
- DOC format
- PDF format
Candidates who indicate that they are alumni of a Mastercard Foundation-supported initiative may also be required to provide evidence confirming that status.
Important CV File-Naming Requirement
Applicants should also pay attention to how their résumé file is named.
The official guidance states that the CV filename should contain the applicant’s full official name, including first name and family name.
For example:
Firstname_Lastname_CV.pdf
Following seemingly minor application instructions can be important because recruitment systems process large numbers of applications.
How to Strengthen Your Application
Candidates should tailor their application to the specific vacancy rather than submitting the same generic résumé for every position.
Before applying, carefully study:
- Required academic qualification
- Required field of study
- Skills requested
- Work-location requirements
- Technical competencies
- Experience requirements
- Employer expectations
Applicants should then clearly demonstrate relevant experience from:
- Internships
- Volunteering
- University projects
- National service
- Freelance assignments
- Student societies
- Community projects
- Entrepreneurship
- Previous employment
- Professional certifications
For early-career applicants, evidence of ability and initiative can be important even when formal professional experience is limited.
Why the 12-Month Structure Matters
Many conventional internships last only a few weeks or months.
A 12-month placement provides considerably more time for an individual to become integrated into an organization.
During a year, an Associate may have the opportunity to:
- Complete substantial projects
- Experience different stages of business cycles
- Receive multiple performance reviews
- Develop stronger professional relationships
- Take on increasing responsibility
- Demonstrate measurable improvement
- Build a stronger professional portfolio
The employer also has more time to assess the Associate as a potential long-term employee.
This structure supports the program’s wider objective of facilitating meaningful transitions into employment.
Why Employers Participate
The initiative is designed to create value for employers as well as Associates.
Participating organizations gain access to young, pre-trained professionals while contributing to Africa’s emerging workforce.
Jobberman states that employers can benefit by:
- Strengthening organizational capacity
- Accessing motivated early-career talent
- Supporting workforce inclusion
- Contributing to youth employment
- Developing future talent pipelines
- Assessing potential long-term hires
The program also provides financial support toward Associate remuneration, reducing part of the placement cost for host employers.
Application Period and Deadline
Applications for the current Cohort 2 opportunity are open from 21 September 2026 until 21 October 2026.
Application Deadline: 21 October 2026
Candidates should avoid waiting until the final day because individual roles may attract substantial interest.
Applicants should also note that the wider Mastercard Foundation Associates Program publishes opportunities on an ongoing basis, meaning vacancy availability can change as positions are filled or new roles are added.
How to Apply for the Mastercard Foundation Associates Program Cohort 2
Applicants should access the Jobberman Cohort 2 recruitment portal and review the positions currently available.
The official Cohort 2 portal provided for this application cycle is:
Apply through the Jobberman Cohort 2 portal
Candidates should:
- Open the Jobberman Cohort 2 recruitment portal.
- Review the available positions.
- Select opportunities that match their qualifications, interests, location, and experience.
- Carefully read the complete job description.
- Prepare an updated CV.
- Complete the required online application.
- Submit the application before the deadline.
- Monitor email regularly for shortlisting or PREP2SOAR instructions.
There is no requirement to apply blindly for every vacancy. Candidates should focus on roles for which they can demonstrate a genuine match.
About the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation is an international foundation focused heavily on education and transitions into meaningful work, particularly for young people in Africa.
Through programs such as the Associates Program, the Foundation seeks to help young people develop practical skills, professional experience, leadership capabilities, and pathways toward dignified and fulfilling livelihoods.
The Associates Program is one component of this broader approach to improving the transition from education into sustainable employment.
About Jobberman
Jobberman is a major recruitment and career-development platform operating within Africa’s employment ecosystem.
As a regional partner of the Mastercard Foundation Associates Program, Jobberman is responsible for connecting qualified young professionals with host employers across the participating Anglophone West African markets.
The partnership combines Jobberman’s recruitment infrastructure with the Mastercard Foundation’s broader focus on youth employment and professional development.
Conclusion
The Mastercard Foundation Associates Program Cohort 2 with Jobberman 2026 provides young professionals with an opportunity to move beyond academic qualifications and gain substantial real-world experience through a structured 12-month paid work placement.
Participants can benefit from hands-on professional experience, a monthly stipend, employability development, leadership and entrepreneurship skills, mentorship, professional networking, workplace support, and career-transition assistance.
For young graduates struggling with the familiar challenge of needing experience to obtain a job while needing a job to acquire experience, a structured year-long placement can provide an important bridge into the professional world.
Applicants should review individual vacancies carefully, ensure that their qualifications and location correspond with the requirements, prepare a well-targeted CV, and submit applications through the official Jobberman Cohort 2 portal.
Application Deadline: 21 October 2026
Apply for Mastercard Foundation Associates Program Cohort 2 through Jobberman
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