Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Purpose

The project seeks to improve the livelihoods of at least 6 000 young women and men (approximately 40% women) in Aswan Governorate, Egypt, by strengthening the quality and range of technical and vocational training, professional training, entrepreneurship support programs and employment services available to young women and men in Aswan. Through support to local training institutions, government agencies and Aswan University, the project improves the provision of demand-driven skills training, provides programs for entrepreneurs, and supports job seekers through career counselling and job-matching. The project also builds more effective linkages between the labour market and training institutions to reduce the mismatch between training programs and the job market. Project activities include: (1) refurbishing and equipping training facilities in Aswan; (2) building the institutional and technical capacities of education centres to provide demand-driven technical, vocational, employability and entrepreneurial skills training; (3) providing workers with on-the-job training, career management support, professional development programs and management skills training; (4) supporting community-led enterprises, young entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises with a focus on the agri-business value-chain; (5) establishing consultation mechanisms to improve the link between training institutions and market demand and improve the design, financing, performance management and quality control of job training programs; and (6) conducting research to better understand the constraints facing female job seekers.