VET Advocacy and Entrepreneurship

We are committed to correcting the poor perception associated with vocational skills and the paradox of high youth unemployment amidst severe skills shortage.

Through the agency of events, media, and technology we will celebrate excellent crafts persons beaming a spotlight on the viability of vocational skills ,provide mentorship opportunities and foster a network of skilled persons and labour employers to encourage entrepreneurship or provide  links to sustainable jobs

This solution will address youth unemployment and restiveness by advocating for improvement of skills or learning new ones giving them an avenue to develop in line with their natural strengths, talents or inclinations, allowing them chart a career path by developing their human capital and becoming employable thereby reducing the crime rate and enhancing their quality of life and ultimately giving them the chance to fulfill their lives aspirations.

We are solving the issue unemployment and consequent Youth restiveness as well as the Shortage of competent skilled persons through advocacy for vocational skills training and development for the youth while   debunking the poor perception associated with vocational skills.

The factors that contribute to the problem include; The misconception that vocational skills are not financially rewarding, the idea that vocational training is inferior to formal education as well as the social stigma associated with vocational skills.

Promoting awareness of skills development by organizing a skills competition, employing creative storytelling to improve the perception of vocational skills and generating interest.

Creating and linking unemployed youths to jobs by providing  mentorship, resources for business registration and establishment, provision of tools and starter packs, exposing them to their potential employers and collaborators through networking events and technological platforms.

The process and technology to be deployed are;

An awards ceremony to celebrate excellent, outstanding and inspiring crafts persons

Collating and processing data of semi-skilled and skilled persons

Technology to perform virtual competitions as advocacy tools especially in view of the covid situation

Traditional and new media for publicity 

The target population for this Solution is under-employed/unemployed skilled or semi-skilled youths within the age bracket of 18-35 years.

They are:

• under-employed/unemployed youths
• Skilled or semi-skilled youths

To understand their needs we engage stakeholders such as;

• Vocational Training providers to facilitate skills development
• Employers of labor to determine the skills that are in demand
• Artisan associations and groups to understand their challenges.
• Government Ministries Departments and Agencies on policy development
• Survey  and research

The solution will:

• Raise awareness for vocational skills development
• Improve the perception around vocational skills
• Provide mentorship opportunities for outstanding crafts persons to become entrepreneurs who will create sustainable jobs .

In order to break the paradox of high unemployment and poverty in the midst of severe shortage of skilled manpower  we must advocate for skills as building blocks of the future and vehicles for individual economic empowerment generating interest in vocational skills , by showcasing shining examples of skilled people  excelling in their chosen fields thereby encouraging the youth to train in or improve on in-demand vocational skills,  helping them gain access to trainings, mentorship, employer networks  and other resources which when provided will facilitate their development as employed workers or entrepreneurs thereby empowering individuals and by extension their communities.