Forum for the Future - Learning through internships

Please note that due to the high volume of enquires we receive about volunteering, we do not keep peoples details on file, please continually check this page on a regular basis for future vacancies.

Volunteering at Forum for the Future

Volunteers and interns play an important role part in supporting Forum for the Future’s delivery of our mission to address critical global challenges.

What we offer

We regularly offer internships, volunteer roles and work experience placements across our global offices which are situated in London, New York, Singapore and Mumbai. We greatly value the help that our volunteers provide and aim to give you the experience of, and exposure to projects that you are interested in to help you develop or acquire new skills.  You will also gain experience of working alongside our friendly and dynamic teams. 

While you are with us, you will have a dedicated supervisor and be encouraged to attend our team meetings, BBLs (brown bag lunch learning sessions) and other informal staff events. During your time at Forum, you will have access to a wealth of resources, learning opportunities and will be able to build an invaluable network of contacts. 

Although we can’t guarantee that paid work will become available after your internships with us, we are confident that following completion of your placement, the experience and skills you have gained will increase your employability and open up further opportunities for you.

We provide internship opportunities across different areas of our work - including communications, the Futures Centre, and live system change projects - in food, climate change and supply chains. Interns come to us at varying stages in their lives, from school pupils to graduates and Master’s students, to experienced professionals seeking a career change.

Practical considerations

Usually, volunteer and internship placements are for a regular day, or days, each week for and optimum period of two-three months, during regular working hours Monday to Friday.

We make our internships available to the widest pool of potential applicants. Speculative applicants are asked to apply for positions that are advertised on our website. If you wish to be contacted when positions come available you can sign up through the form on our jobs page.

Work Experience

Our work experience placements are set up either by education agencies, or individuals contacting us directly. These placements are usually for a week or two in our resources team, and students get exposure to the crucial work that’s needed to keep Forum a great place to work. This may include assisting with office, finance, HR, admin, and some project support.

Volunteers

Volunteer positions are often advertised when we need additional support with particular projects or initiatives. We take a flexible approach to this to work around our needs and the individual’s availability. Volunteers are usually with us for 1-3 months during regular office hours.

We actively monitor our approach to volunteering, and have consistently received positive feedback from those who have volunteered with us. At the end of internships, many interns move on to paid employment, self-employment or choose to do further education.

About us

Forum for the Future is a leading international sustainability non-profit. For over 24 years we’ve been working in partnership with business, governments and civil society to accelerate the shift toward a sustainable future.

Climate change, poverty, malnutrition, civil unrest: the world today is facing complex challenges because our fundamental systems are no longer fit for purpose.

We specialise in addressing critical global challenges by catalysing change in key systems, from food to apparel, energy to shipping.

We do this by convening transformational collaborations to drive change, by partnering with organisations to help them lead by example, and by building a global community of pioneers and change makers.

Together we can reinvent the way the world works.