Internships with the ILO provide an opportunity for selected undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students who are pursuing a course of study or work in fields related to the ILO's mandate and activities to: (a) increase their understanding of relevant issues at the international level by involving them directly in the work of the Office and the application of ILO principles, programmes and strategies; (b) gain practical work experience related to their academic background or future work in the field related to ILO's mission. There are two major fields for internship at the ILO: 1. Professional: Students undertaking advanced studies in a technical field of interest to the ILO are eligible to apply. Fields include social security, labour economics, labour statistics, labour law, condition of work, women and gender issues, etc. 2. Secretarial: Students in specialized secondary schools or in secretarial schools are eligible to apply for secretarial internship. Language qualifications are important (English and French). Interns gain an understanding of how the ILO operates and enhance their educational experience by working under the supervision of a senior staff member. The backgrounds of interns are matched with the needs of the Office. Interns provide the Office with the assistance of young talent for a limited period and offer the most recent thinking and research experience in their area of academic study.