Young people face more challenges than adults do in entering the labor market owing to their lack of work experience and the mismatch between the skills they have to offer and those required by employers. The eLearning initiative aims to increase access to market responsive education and training systems through integration of work readiness skills by strengthening the capacities of the EIs and building networks with employers, business entities & government’s line ministries. The initiative shall bridge the skills gaps and improve work readiness skills, and employability for the youths through:

1.1 Transition of youth into work & self-employment (12,500).

The integration between hard and soft skills enhances opportunities for dignified work that is productive and delivers meaningful income, security in the workplace and social protection for families; i.e.: reliable income, reputable work, respect in the workplace, and sense of purpose. For this focus area, key interventions will include:

• Skills mismatch study to produce mismatch framework /strategy & action plan to bridge skills gaps;
• Draft internship framework to improve internship & students’ placements/industrial training;
• Plot transition into work program through mentorship & internship;
• Train private sector employers on reasonable accommodation of PWDs in employment.

1.2. Work-readiness & Employability skills

Employability skills encompass a broad range of skill sets like technical skills, leadership, business management skills, creative thinking etc., which equip young people with a positive work ethic, practical skills, and competencies/proficiencies that enable them to interact and work in a multicultural yet dynamic work environment driven by technology and work pressures. To-date, the initiative has:

• Developed an ideal Work-readiness course to enable learners identify and develop personal talents that prepare them for the new work environment;
• Designed mentorship programs to enable young people excel in a dynamic work environment;
• Trained instructors on work readiness;
• Piloted work readiness in the 5 EIs.

1.3. Entrepreneurship Skills

Entrepreneurship and business skills enable youthful to have the right mindset, equipping them with skills and competencies that enable them to identify, analyze and seize business opportunities. Hence, the initiative has, and will:

• Designed Entrepreneurship & Business Skills courses (EBS) so that students develop the spirit of self-employment and become entrepreneurs that are able to develop small and medium enterprises;
• Train instructors on EBS;
• Pilot EBS courses in 5 EIs.