10018858-Implementation of TVET support and women's economic empowerment activities in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone faces persistent poverty, high informality and limited job creation, disproportionately affecting women and youth. Agriculture is the largest employer, yet value chains are fragmented, processing is weak, and access to finance, quality infrastructure and certification is limited. The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system suffers from outdated curricula, insufficient equipment and low private sector engagement, constraining labour market relevance, especially for women and returnees.

The "Youth Employment Promotion through Socio Ecological and Economic Transformation of selected rural Value Chains" (EET project), commissioned by BMZ with EU co funding, supports inclusive, market oriented growth and better employment along selected value chains (cassava, coffee/cocoa, vegetables, poultry). It strengthens micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) and the enabling ecosystem, with a strong focus on Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) and youth integration. The project applies a concise multi level approach: support MSMEs with training, coaching and finance to improve productivity and market access; strengthen ecosystem actors (finance, certification, cooperatives, processing centres) to enhance services and linkages; and upgrade TVET through demand driven Competence Based Education and Training (CBET) curricula, improved facilities at Government Technical Institutes (GTIs) in Kabala, Kailahun, Koidu and Mattru Jong, teacher capacity building and institutionalised private sector engagement for apprenticeships and certification via Industry Sector Advisory Committees.

WEE is embedded throughout. The project strengthens six representative bodies advancing women's economic rights (e.g. Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

• GEWE
• Act), introduces gender transformative modules (Gender makes Business Sense
• GmBS; Gender Action Learning Systems
• GALS; Gender Model Family
• GMF) via public and private providers, and delivers mentoring and awareness campaigns to address norms and improve women"s access to resources, markets and decision making. Outcomes are tracked with recognised tools such as the (pro )Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro WEAI). Key results targeted include:
• Improved competitiveness of MSMEs with measurable employment effects for women and youth.
• Upgraded GTIs and at least nine demand oriented, gender responsive curricula operational; teachers trained in learner centred CBET; trainees certified in line with National Council for Technical and Vocational Education (NCTVE) standards in the initial phase.
• Stronger institutional conditions for women's economic participation, including operational representative bodies, integrated gender transformative modules, and functioning mentoring and communication platforms.
• Enhanced market access through strengthened outgrower networks, cooperative services and business linkages, enabling more equitable participation of women and young producers.

The approach is rights based, conflict and context sensitive, and climate aware. It promotes green and circular economy elements in training and enterprise support, limits environmental footprints and applies Do No Harm principles. Implementation aligns with national policies (TVET Policy, Dual Apprenticeship Policy) under the coordination of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, with the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) and NCTVE responsible for TVET standards and certification, and the Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs and civil society partners advancing WEE.

Continuous monitoring, learning and adaptive management ensure data driven steering and accountability to BMZ and the EU. EU visibility will follow EU visual identity guidelines; co branding with BMZ/GIZ will follow donor rules.?