# Presentation: 263066

## RFA – Workforce Development Design

**Pre Solicitation Workshop**
**July 7, 2006**
**Le Meridien, New Delhi**

## Presentation Outline

-    Objective of the RFA
-    Findings of Workforce Development Assessment
-    Illustrative Program Components
-    Expected Results
-    Award and  Timelines

## Objective of the RFA

** **USAID wants:
**Creative ideas and combinations of partners**
** ****For the design of a program or programs**
** ****To prepare disadvantaged youth for new economy jobs**

## Objective of the RFA

- The design should:
-     	**Offer viable career and employment opportunities**
**	****for disadvantaged youth**
- 	Disadvantaged youth: age group 15-30 years; twelfth pass 	education or less; no specific skills or certification; emphasis on 	girls
-    	**Be based on public-private partnerships**
-    	**Demonstrate innovative approaches or scale up   ****	****successful initiatives.**
-    	**Cover 4-5 years with funding of up to $5 million**
-   	**Have a geographic focus in: National Capital****	****Region (NCR), Maharashtra and/or Jharkhand**

## Workforce Development Assessment

- Conducted in three states - NCR, Maharashtra and Jharkhand to:
-   	***Identify growth sectors of economy, especially `******	******sectors that face shortage of labor;***
***  ******	******understand the disadvantages and problems ******	******faced by the youth in finding good jobs;***
***  ******	******Analyze strengths and weaknesses of existing ******	******skills ******	******training programs; and***
***  ******Make programming recommendations and         ******	******options****.*
- The draft report is posted in the USAID web site along with the RFA

## Workforce Development Assessment – Key findings

## Workforce Development Assessment – Key findings

**On the supply side, some facts about unemployed youth**
-   	Four major sub-sets of unemployed youth
-  	poorly educated rural youth,
-  	poorly educated urban slum dwellers,
-  	school drop out migrants from rural to urban areas and
-  	the educated (twelfth pass) unemployed in rural and urban 	areas.
-   	Female labor market participation in large cities growing over 	last decade.
-   	Issues of discrimination against women remain – both in 	terms of access to jobs as well as workplace environment.
-   	Unemployed and underemployed youth, particularly in rural 	areas, often migrate to urban areas.

## Workforce Development Assessment – Key findings

**Supply side  issues cont:**
-   	Youth not prepared for emerging jobs – skills 	mismatch – 	irrespective of educational level;
-   	Poor quality and lack of workforce education and 	training programs;
-   	Lack of access to part time continuing education and 	training;
-   	Skills acquired informally through real life experience 	have no formal recognition;
-   	Premium on government jobs among the less 	privileged: an aversion to blue collar jobs and rural 	work.

## Workforce Development Assessment – Key findings

**On the demand side, some opportunities:**
-    	Unorganized sector employs more than 92% of the 	workforce
-    	Growth in traditional sectors like manufacturing, 	mining, infrastructure and agriculture is due to 	automated systems 	and increased productivity and 	will not result in significantly more jobs.
-   	Industries with very high economic growth like IT do 	not necessarily contribute to the employment of the 	most vulnerable
-    	The industries with the greatest labor market demand 	are: **services; construction**; **agri-business and ****	****food ****	****processing**; **medical** (para-medics), 	**educational** (para- 	teachers) and **financial** (rural 	bankers) services.

## Workforce Development Assessment – Key findings

**Demand side opportunities cont:**
-  	Even in sectors where job growth is 	considerable, there is a mismatch between 	employer needs and the skills of job seekers.
-  	Employers often hire over-qualified applicants.
-    	Additional skills demanded by 	corporate/business executives are: mastery of 	basic literacy and numeric skills, inter-personal 	skills, communication skills, computer skills, 	critical thinking skills.
-    	While workforce development is an emerging 	need, very few donors are working in the area.

## Workforce Development Assessment – Key findings

**Workforce training issues:**
-   	Government vocational training courses (ITIs) need reforms;  	centrally driven;  not responsive to the market; outdated 	curriculum, outmoded equipment and inadequate faculty skills.
-  	Need to simplify policy and regulatory barriers to train and certify 	more youth in workplace skills.
-  	Need to offer a “vocational” option to secondary school students – 	helpful for the vulnerable youth who are not likely to continue.
**Recent positive initiatives:**
-    	Industry has began to work with the vocational education sector to 	design relevant workforce education and training programs
-    	Private sector training institutions, including NGOs and for-profit 	institutions, beginning to fill an important niche in the training 	market for technical, non-university training.

## Illustrative program components for new design

-   	Market scan to map employer and industry demand.
-   	Establishment/implementation/scaling up of high 	quality, short term training programs consistent with 	employer needs and demands.
-   	Developing new training materials (including life and 	workplace readiness skills) in different formats 	(including distance learning).
-   	Establishment/implementation/scaling up of 	programs that prepare youth for safe migration.
-   	Linking young job seekers more effectively with 	employers.
-   	Strengthening of vocational training institutions.
-   	Development of skills certification programs.

## Expected Results

-   	New training programs established and 	institutionalized.
-   	At least 85% of training program graduates placed in 	jobs or benefited through higher income levels.
-   	Implementation of policy or regulatory changes that 	increase/ improve vocational training opportunities 	for disadvantaged youth.
-   	Increased engagement of the private sector in 	training 	programs for marginalized people.
-   	Approaches successfully address problems of young 	women in entering employment.

## In Summary....

**We are looking for:**
**  ****	****Innovative ideas;**
**  ****	****Creative combinations of partners;**
**  ****	****Co-funding;**
**  ****	****Significant impact on employment of ****	****disadvantaged ****	****youth; and**
**  ****	****Scalability.**

## Slide 15