Sudan: Creating opportunities for Youth Employment in Sudan
Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed in 2005, provided an enabling environment for the return of more than four million displaced people. Yet poverty and unemployment remain high, particularly in the southern areas devastated by the 21-year civil war. The Joint Programme's goal was to improve job prospects for youth, particularly returnees and demobilized soldiers, through skills development, the creation of employment opportunities and ensuring that job creation is integrated in national development policies.
The programme applied an area-based approach, targeting priority states to help maximize the impact of the initiatives by:
- Mainstreaming employment creation into national development frameworks;
- Promoting policies and measures to help young returnees enter and remain in the labor market; and
- Developing and implementing innovative interventions to create concrete employment and training opportunities in the three target states (South Kordofan, North Kordofan and Blue Nile).
Main achievements included:
- The State Ministry of Finance and Economy–Investment Unit included delivery of enterprise and business plan training and related small business development advisory services in their 2013 work plan with budgetary support from the State.
- Youth employment initiatives are increasingly coordinated by the National Youth Employment Scheme (NYES). Training and related services will continue to be carried out by trained trainers, thereby expanding outreach to all localities.
- Linkages with the Federal Ministry of Industry (FMoI) for information exchange on market, technology and available support to micro and small enterprises were established between the State Investment Units of South Kordofan, Blue Nile & North Kordofan and the FMoI and attached technology research institutes. The FMoI planned to replicate and scale up these initiatives, involving all other states in the North.
- Reports on a micro-finance study with recommended schemes and guidelines to more effectively provide easy access to finance were completed and endorsed at the State and Federal levels. The Central Bank of Sudan adopted the recommended micro-finance policies conducive for youth employment.
- A National sub-sectoral plan on youth education was developed and institutional capacities of partner organizations on a youth information database were strengthened.
- State Steering Committees were formed for round table discussions and workshops on State Action Plans for job creation were conducted. State Action Plans for functional literacy were developed and completed for Blue Nile and South Kordofan States.
- A Labor Market Study for South Kordofan, North Kordofan and Blue Nile States was completed, presenting analysis of strategic economic sub-sectors, labor force supply and demand and opportunities for youth self-employment in the three states.
- Some 45 staff were trained on public employment services in the three states and Khartoum. Ten curricula on entrepreneurship and marketable livelihood skills were developed and seven partner organizations were strengthened in delivering technical training and business development assistance to target beneficiaries in South Kordofan. HIV-AIDS prevention training programmes were integrated in various combined training activities and workshops.
- An Accelerated Learning Programme and vocational training opportunities were introduced with special focus on girls, young women and ex-child soldiers. Curricula for skills training on henna tattoos, construction, baking and entrepreneurship were completed for South Kordofan. Henna tattoo trainings were highly successful and most trainees started earning income after the training. Agricultural and livestock training in Blue Nile State also showed good results.
Click for more detailed results from the Joint Programmes in Sudan.
JOINT PROGRAMME QUICK FACTS
Programme Dates 11 Jun 2009 - 30 Aug 2012
Net funded amount $4,482,708
Participating UN agencies FAO, ILO, IOM, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNOPS, UNV
National partners At the Federal Level: Federal Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Central Bank of Sudan-Microfinance Unit (CBoS-MFU); Federal Ministry of Labour, Public Reform, and Administrative Development (FMoLPRAD); Federal Ministry of Industry/State Industry Units (FMoI); Federal Ministry of General Education (FMoGE); Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (FMoAF); National Council for Literacy and Adult Education (NCLAE); Sudan National Aids Programme (SNAP). At the State Level: State Ministries of Youth & Sports (SMoYS); State Ministry of Finance & Economy-Investment Unit (SIU); State Ministry of Social Development (SMoSD); State Ministry of Agriculture & Forest (SMoAF); State Ministry of Rural Development (SMoRD); State Ministry of General Education (SMoGE); State Ministry of Health (SMoH in South Kordofan); Cooperative Unions (CU)