youth & livelihoods: how & why irc is investing in youth as assets for stability &...
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James Lenton, Youth & Livelihoods Technical Advisor Child & Youth Protection and Development Unit International Rescue Committee, New York October 23, 2008. Youth & Livelihoods: How & why IRC is investing in youth as assets for stability & development. IRC Liberia - Nimba & Lofa - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Youth & Livelihoods: How & why IRC is investing in youth as assets for stability & development
IRC Liberia - Nimba & Lofa
October 4, 2006
Lili Stern, Technical Advisor for Youth & Livelihoods
IRC New York - CYPD
James Lenton, Youth & Livelihoods Technical AdvisorChild & Youth Protection and Development Unit
International Rescue Committee, New York
October 23, 2008
IRC’s CYPD: Who Are We?
Currently, the IRC’s Child & Youth Protection and Development (CYPD) programs focus on 3 inter-related areas of core competence:
Education
Child Protection
Youth & Livelihoods
Support to displaced children and youth in conflict and post-conflict situations since the Cambodian refugee crisis in Thailand in 1980.
What does “livelihood” mean for IRC?
IRC’s Youth & Livelihoods programs use the broad definition of ‘livelihoods’ as adopted by DFID, IISD, USAID and others, in which “A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets and activities required for a means of living.”
These essential assets can be organized into six categories: physical, natural, human, financial, social and political.
These assets are used to reduce vulnerability to shocks and to manage risks that threaten well-being.
Building Asset Bridges to Correct the Imbalance
Youth at the Margins
of Society
State
Civil Society
Market
How do we build asset bridges?
Human assets – youth become proficient in a particular industry, agriculture or trade, but also to gain important transferable skills such as functional literacy, numeracy, and life skills
Civic assets – youth understanding how the labor market works, basic labor rights and how to advocate for those rights
Social assets – youth gain self-esteem and acceptance in the community, and learn how to interact with others.
Some IRC youth livelihood programs also provide toolkits, as a measure to assist with provision of physical assets or linkages to micro-credit, savings & loan opportunities and training in savings habits, to increase financial assets.
How does IRC promote sustainable livelihoods for conflict-affected youth?
IRC’s Y & L programs promote sustainable livelihoods for conflict-affected youth by ensuring that programs are based on:
market needs
the existing assets and coping strategies youth bring with them
young people’s hopes and aspirations
enhancement of youth’s employability prospects
a holistic package of support that ensures tangible improvement in the long-term social, civic and economic well-being of participants
IRC’s Y & L Approach: What We Do
IRC begins with assumption that no one intervention will be the answer for a young person. They often will need multiple kinds of support in order to make a smooth transition into adulthood.
Y & L’s holistic package of support can include:peer counseling and life skills education on issues such as HIV/AIDS prevention and conflict resolutionyouth-led recreational activitiesengagement in civic & community affairs literacy and accelerated learning programs transferable skills acquisitionemployability promotion through technical and vocational education and training, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurial skills development
The majority of youth lack access to quality learning opportunities
Illiteracy rate is 70% of which youth make up 55.6%
75% of the TVET infrastructure was destroyed during the conflict
88% of youth are
unemployed
68% of 15-20 year olds in
Liberia have never seen a
classroom
Aging VT instructors
Why IRC works with youth in Liberia
GOAL: Youth (particularly girls) access quality and relevant TVET
ADVOCACY
National Working Group sets standards and advocates for increased quality and relevance of, and access to TVET by youth
QUALITY & RELEVANCE
Increase quality and relevance of vocational training in targeted TVET institutions in Lofa and Nimba counties
ACCESS
Increase accessibility of targeted VTCs to girls and traditionally excluded youth
SUSTAINABILITY
Targeted VTCs increase their income level and provide support for more girls to access VT on an ongoing basis
The LEGACY Initiative
Advocacy: National Working Group
MembershipMinistry of Youth and Sports
Ministry of Labor
Ministry of Planning (Agricultural and Industrial Training Board)
Ministry of Gender and Development
Liberia Business Association
Chambers of Commerce
International Labor Organization
Key local and international NGOs
Revise legislation and advocate for re-establishment of National Council for TVET
Secure funding from MNC levies (LEE, Arcelor Mittal) for TVET institutions and establish employment linkages
Approve market-driven TVET curricula
Promote increased participation of girls in TVET trades and institutions (VTCs/ employment)
Ensure updated pedagogy training of VTC instructors
Ensure safe training environments
Priorities
Quality and relevance
Revised curricula to:Promote inclusion of market-driven trades (based on youth-led employer mapping assessments)
Include entrepreneurship skills
Include life skills
Vocational mentoring
Revised pedagogy and
TOTUsing IRC’s Healing
Classroom’s approach –
learner-centered teaching
methods
Access and Sustainability
ACCESS - Increase accessibility of TVET to girls and traditionally excluded youth by:
Increasing capacity of existing VTCs through reconstruction and provision of equipment
Reviewing entry criteria to TVET institutions to make them more inclusive
Implementing codes of conduct and safe practices
SUSTAINABILITY - Establish VTC-based businesses to:
Provide on-site training for youth
Support operational costs of VTCs
Contribute to support fund for graduate youth
Market (micro, small,
medium and large)
Apprenticeships
Traineeships
Work placements,
Material/ financial support
JOBS
Formal VT Institutes
Non-formal VT Institutes
Government(city, county and
national)
MoA, MoE, MoL, MoP, MoYS, MoGD, AITB
Training of Trainers (TOT)
Accreditation
Certification
Curriculum and Pedagogy
Development
Material/financial support
Vocational Training - Market Vocational Training - Education
Market-driven, Education-driven
Solid lines – Graduate youth
Dotted lines – Resources/inputs
How will we know when we get there? Example indicators
Advocacy
NWG submits a statement/guideline to relevant government bodies on ways to regularly align or update the TVET strategy with labor market needs
Government designates/sets up a body/committee to facilitate review of selected TVET curricula based on labor market needs
Quality and Relevance
% of businesses/employers satisfied with performance of youth placed with them
% of trainees satisfied with teaching methodology
Access
% enrolment of girls in targeted VT centers
% of partner TVET institutions implement safe practices and display Codes of Conduct for public view
Sustainability
% of profit generated through business activities used to support VTC activities and running costs
% profit generated through business activities used for start-up assistance of graduates
Thank you…