Key figures from work exchange in 2025
With support from Norec, organisations collaborate across borders. Through work exchange, participants share knowledge and experience, helping to strengthen organisations and communities around the world.
76
projects received support
190
partner organisations
414
people on work exchange
Explore results by thematic area
Strong global partnerships for sustainable development
All Norec projects contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Two out of three projects focus on four of the goals, with Good Health and Well-being attracting the largest share.
Projects supported in 2025 contributed to 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), accounts for the largest share, at 28 per cent of projects. This is followed by SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 4 (Quality Education), at 13 per cent each.
Share of projects contributing to each Sustainable Development Goal. Source: Norec's project database (projects receiving support in 2025).
| Label | Value | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 3. Good Health and Well-Being | 28 | 28 |
| 2. Zero Hunger | 13 | 13 |
| 4. Quality Education | 13 | 13 |
| 5. Gender Equality | 9 | 9 |
| 16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | 9 | 9 |
| 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth | 7 | 7 |
| 13. Climate Action | 7 | 7 |
| 7. Affordable and Clean Energy | 4 | 4 |
| 10. Reduced Inequalities | 4 | 4 |
| 12. Responsible Consumption and Production | 3 | 3 |
| 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities | 1 | 1 |
| 17. Partnerships | 1 | 1 |
| 9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | 1 | 1 |
Who do we work with — and where?
Most of Norec's partner organisations are based in the Global South, and the majority are civil society organisations.
How our partners share knowledge
In Norec projects, organisations share knowledge and learn from each other. Through work exchange, employees gain new skills and learn new methods and ways of working.
When employees work in a partner organisation, they bring professional and technical knowledge with them. In recent years, we have seen that this exchange of knowledge can also lead to organisational change, including changes in routines, working methods and organisational structures. This has particularly strengthened partner organisations in the Global South.
In Norec's 2025 partner survey, 92 per cent said that the exchange was important for developing organisational capacity and building skills. 68 per cent said that the learning reached the wider organisation, rather than only those who took part in the exchange.
Before the exchange begins, partners agree on what they want to learn from each other. During the exchange, employees share knowledge and methods with colleagues in the host organisation and adapt them to the local context.
Staff exchange has also contributed to innovation and new ideas. When organisations share experiences, methods and perspectives, this can lead to new and improved services and solutions. Several partners have incorporated what they have learnt into established routines, helping to ensure that the knowledge lasts and benefits more people.
Norec gives young people international work experience
Norec has supported reciprocal work exchange since 2001. Around 14,000 people have taken part in a Norec exchange.
Every year, around 400 young people take part in work exchange through Norec-supported projects. In 2025, participants were 28 years old on average, and 70 per cent were women. Three out of four came from countries in the Global South. An exchange lasted an average of 7.5 months.
Together, participants contributed the equivalent of 263 full-time working years — around 460,000 hours — to projects supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Former participants say that the experience has influenced both their career choices and education. Many also bring the knowledge and experience they have gained back to their workplaces and local communities.
Around 3,000 former participants are currently part of the Norec Network.
It [the exchange] was almost a 360 degree turn around in my perspective towards development and how my country could be.
Ruth, 14 years after her Norec exchange from Kenya to Norway
75 %
of participants come from a country in the Global South
14 000
people have taken part in work exchange
400
go on work exchange every year
Learning and skills
People who take part in work exchange in another country gain new knowledge and develop new skills. What they learn benefits the projects they work in, the organisations involved and their future careers. Participants also develop skills that are in demand in the workplace.
Everyone who takes part in a Norec exchange completes a survey about what they have learnt. The survey maps the skills they have developed based on the World Economic Forum's Global Skills Taxonomy, which covers 81 skills across different categories.
Our analyses show that many participants develop skills that are in demand in the workplace. We are continuously working to improve how we measure and understand what participants learn through work exchange.
In 2025, more than 80 per cent of participants said they had improved their ability to adapt, be flexible, collaborate, believe in their own abilities and solve problems. 76 per cent said they had developed skills in teaching and mentoring, while 75 per cent reported improved leadership skills.
98 per cent said they had become more open to other cultures, developed greater respect for others and gained a better understanding of global issues. 92 per cent said that taking part in a Norec exchange had helped them become a “global citizen”.
| Label | Value | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Adaptability/flexibility/collaboration/self-efficacy and cognitive skills | 80 | 80 % |
| Teaching/mentoring/coaching | 76 | 76 % |
| Leadership skills | 75 | 75 % |
Read our impact stories
Explore impact stories from our work exchange projects.