Youth & Livelihoods: How & why IRC is investing in youth as assets for stability & development

1. James Lenton, Youth & Livelihoods Technical AdvisorChild & Youth Protection and Development UnitInternational Rescue Committee, New YorkOctober 23, 2008 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

2. IRC’s CYPD: Who Are We? • Support to displaced children and youth in conflict and post-conflict situations since the Cambodian refugee crisis in Thailand in 1980. • 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

3. 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.

4. Building Asset Bridges to Correct the Imbalance Youth at the Margins of Society Social Asset Bridges Civic Asset Bridges State Civil Society Market Human Asset Bridges

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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 resolution • youth-led recreational activities • engagement in civic & community affairs • literacy and accelerated learning programs • transferable skills acquisition • employability promotion through technical and vocational education and training, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurial skills development

8. Why IRC works with youth in Liberia • 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

9. The LEGACY Initiative 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 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 QUALITY & RELEVANCE Increase quality and relevance of vocational training in targeted TVET institutions in Lofa and Nimba counties

10. Advocacy: National Working Group Membership Priorities • Ministry 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, ArcelorMittal) 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

11. 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 TOT • Using IRC’s Healing Classroom’s approach – learner-centered teaching methods

12. 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

13. Vocational Training - Market Vocational Training - Education Market (micro, small, medium and large) Apprenticeships Traineeships Work placements, Material/ financial support JOBS 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 Formal VT Institutes Non-formal VT Institutes Market-driven, Education-driven Solid lines – Graduate youth Dotted lines – Resources/inputs

14. How will we know when we get there? Example indicators

15. Thank you…