UNESCO South Sudan

During the project implementation in 2023, a total of 2,381 learners (1,416 male, 965 female) youth have directly benefited from the project through enrollment in TVET centres and undergoing foundational, vocational, transferable skills training both in institutional and mobile TVET training in all the project locations. The learners comprised of either primary and secondary schools, dropouts from primary and secondary schools, and other education systems as well as those who have never been to school before. The beneficiary age group ranges from 15 years up to 35 years and above, both male and female (including child/young mothers), people with disabilities enroll in variety of skills training both through institution-based training and mobile TVET approach. Through gender mainstreaming within the communities, some parents are slowly embracing the TVET program and thus allowing their daughters to participate in the internship program especially after seeing the first cohort of graduates. This has accelerated the enrollment of learners and expected increase in female enrollment in the second cohort. However, the increase in enrollment could also be attributed to that fact that some of the TVET centers have provided childcare support for the mothers to allow them to learn comfortably without generated distraction from their children. Mobile TVET sessions have also been conducted for some learners, especially those whose homes are far away from the training centers. This has resulted in especially young mothers with pending unpaid care work balancing between learning sessions and community work. There has been an establishment of peace building clubs that have enrolled as many young men as women, which positively promotes gender equality in as far as leadership and women's empowerment is concerned. Pedagogical training was provided to 49 (42 male, 7 female) master trainers through trainers of trainers (ToT) model. Of these 39 (33 male, 6 female) came from government-run technical and vocational institutions, and 10 (9 male, 1 female) were personnel of the implementing partners. Field level labour market assessments and gender analysis in all the project targeted areas were undertaken by the four implementing partners to determine the TVET skills development/training program as it was important to align TVET skills provision with labour market needs. It is worth noting that each of the selected project areas (states) have different demographic and socioeconomic conditions, which determines the skills type and demand by the various beneficiary categories(youth, women, people with disabilities, returnees etc.). Generally, due to the rising youth unemployment rate, the demand for skills development has been on the rise. A conflict analysis was conducted during the reporting period. The analysis provides information about conflict drivers and thus insights on peace promoters which could be supported in this project, enabling more targeted programming and more efficient use of resources. UNESCO supported the development and validation of the TVET teacher and instructor policy and the TVET implementation guidelines for South Sudan. The TVET teacher and instructor policy highlights the role of TVET in development and as a key educational pathway. In the reporting period, a comprehensive road map for establishment of the TVET Management and Information System (MIS) at the national, states, and TVET centers levels has been developed. The road envisages to complete the systems development by end of second quarter of 2024. The national Ad-Hoc TVET Coordination Committee was supported and facilitated in various ways in and to strengthen their capacity to coordinate and manage TVET in South Sudan. Private sector involvement in TVET in South Sudan is still in an early stage. But UNESCO is working on bringing the private sector on board in the governance and implementation of TVET to ensure that the offer caters to labour markets demand and to take part in the development of national competency standards, which delineate skills, attitudes and attributes based on knowledge and experience that together make an individual competent to practice a certain occupation. In terms of project management, key project professional staff members have been recruited, including an international project officer with strong Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and education background to coordinate and manage the project activities and a national project officer with TVET, and teacher training background. A project assistant has also been recruited to assist the administrative unit in procurement procedures and preparation of contracts, knowledge, and document management for the project. The Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) officer is also finalized. The project implementation states have been selected. Seven (7) out of ten (10) States and Administrative Areas were selected by the Project Advisory Committee, these includes: Lakes States, Jonglei State, Western Equatoria State, Central Equatoria/Eastern Equatoria, and Western Bar El Gazal/Warap. The selection was based on set criteria and in line with the findings of preliminary assessment report. UNESCO finalized the selection of the project implementation partners to deliver interventions at State Level. A total of four (4) implementing partners (Norwegian Refugee Council; Finish Church Aid; ACROSS and Organization for Peace, Rehabilitation and Development) were selected through a competitive process including call for proposal open to all eligible Not for Profit Non-Governmental Organizations (National NGOs, International NGOs, Faith Based Organizations/Institutions) implementing TVET and education programs in targeted project locations in South Sudan. A kick-off meeting was organized with the selected partners on 5 April 2023 to orient the partners on UNESCO's financial and procurement procedures, rules and regulations as well as to have common understanding of the project goals, objectives and approach.

Outcome 1: National inclusive TVET governance structures established, and evidence-based policies implemented by the government of South Sudan. This outcome aims at strengthening TVET governance and coordination among ministries and with the representatives of the private sector, as well as to strengthen the management information system on TVET. Outcome 2: National TVET institutions, teachers and and trainers provide quality gender transformative and green TVET programmes. The outcome aims to strengthen TVET quality through improvement of TVET teacher training and curricula developments functions, with a strong gender lens. Outcome 3: Young women and men in South Sudan are empowered by improving their livelihood through access to climate change and labour market responsive TVET opportunities. This outcome aims to equip the authorities with capacities to design, implement and monitor targeted, relevant, gender transformative and flexible skills development and internship opportunities for young people in remote and conflict affected areas, deprived from access to education and employment.