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…