EU and ITC launch The Gambia Youth Empowerment Project

On Thursday 9 February, the European Union, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Government of the Gambia have launched a new initiative to support job creation and entrepreneurship for Gambian youth. The Gambia Youth Empowerment Project is a four-year project that will benefit from €11 million from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa and will strengthen the long-term competitiveness and viability of the country’s economy.

The four-year project will focus on achieving the following:

• Strengthen existing youth development programmes and systems, and ensure that these are more adaptable to shifting market needs;
• Encourage the return of skilled Gambian migrants by supporting the creation of jobs across the country and supporting the re-integration of these into the economy and society;
• Provide support to trade promotion organisation and other institutions in the development of accessible and flexible learning models and tools;
• Provide skills-building training and support programmes to young entrepreneurs to improve their competitiveness and performance;
• Promote a shift from low-productivity subsistence work, especially farming, and into more productive activities in modern manufacturing and services;
• Raise awareness about skills training and development for 100 000 youth;
• Ensure that 7 000 youths complete technical or vocational training programme or an apprenticeship;
• Provide entrepreneurship services – such as business advisory support and access to finance – for at least 8 000 youth, and;
• Support and help improve the training programmes for 10 partner institutions.