At the request of and with financing from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation(SDC), Swisscontact implements the Skills Development for Employability Programme in order to contribute to the strengthening of skills among young people in Nicaragua through technical training and the capacity development of institutional providers.
In its first phase, from January 2013 to March 2017, the project incorporated youth from five provinces of Nicaragua (Masaya, Chinandega, Matagalpa, Jinotega and León) into technical courses conducted by the National Technological Institute (INATEC) and private training centres in order to develop skills for employability and business capacity. In addition, it supported job skills evaluation and certification processes by INATEC and promoted good safe construction practices, including improving the supply of labour in the construction sector.
In order to consolidate the processes to improve the quality and relevance of professional training for the employability of youth and adults in prioritised sectors and territories, the SDC implemented, through Swisscontact, the second phase of the project over 36 months (from April 2017 to March 2020). These activities were carried out mainly in collaboration with private training centres and INATEC centres, alliances were developed with chambers and other private sector organisations, in particular from the entrepreneurial ecosystem, in order to promote pilot actions in this area.
Objectives
Consolidate processes to improve the quality and relevance of professional training for employability of youth and adults in prioritised sectors and territories.
The project aims to consolidate the key topics and processes initiated (curricular transformation, strengthening competencies of teachers and linkages of training centres with the private sector), ensure the adoption of solutions by the partners to guarantee the continuity of the processes fostered by the programme once its last phase has concluded, and systematise the experience.
Strengthen the employability of vulnerable young people from urban and rural areas, through the development of skills relevant to the demands of the labour market.