In October 2007, USAID’s Displaced Children and Orphans Fund, in close collaboration with the Microenterprise Development office, initiated the STRIVE (Supporting Transformation by Reducing Insecurity and Vulnerability with Economic Strengthening) Program. A five-year, $16 million effort, STRIVE uses market-led economic strengthening initiatives to benefit vulnerable children. In doing so, the program aims to fill current knowledge gaps on effective approaches to reducing the vulnerability of children and youth.
Managed by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) in concert with technical advisors from Action for Enterprise, ACDI/VOCA, CARE, MEDA, Save the Children, the IRIS Center and USAID, STRIVE is implementing up to five field projects in Africa and Asia between 2008 and 2012. Each project is pursuing a unique economic strengthening approach, ranging from savings-led finance to workforce development to value chain interventions. STRIVE is tracking and documenting the impacts of these diverse interventions on child-level indicators related to both economic (financial), and non-economic (e.g. health, nutrition, education) vulnerability factors. As a result, STRIVE aims to identify and demonstrate interventions that can sustainably increase incomes and document how such increases improve (or fail to improve) the lives of children.
- Afghanistan: Secure Futures (ASF), AED and MEDA
- Liberia: Agriculture for Children's Empowerment (ACE), ACDI/VOCA
- Mozambique: STRIVE Mozambique, Save the Children US
- Philippines: STRIVE Philippines, Action for Enterprise (AFE)
- STRIVE Monitoring and Evaluation, The IRIS Center
Margie Brand
STRIVE Program Director
AED
Center for Enterprise and Capacity Development
1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009
USA
margie@eco-ventures.org
October 2007 to September 2012
This paper uses quantitative and qualitative data collected through a survey among
entrepreneurs and apprentices in micro and small enterprises in Accra, Ghana, to analyse the
financial arrangements in informal apprenticeships. It discusses the relationship between the
financing of apprenticeships and the financing of enterprises in which the training takes place. It also examines the way apprentices finance apprenticeship training. The findings suggest that masters commonly charge fees for the training, either at the beginning (commitment fees) and or at the end (graduation fee) of the training. The payment of an allowance to the apprentices (chop money) is a widespread practice. Even if the amount of this allowance in the majority of cases exceeds the amount of fees paid for the training, it would appear that the financing costs of the apprenticeship (fees and living expenses) restrict poor youth from entering and completing an apprenticeship. Finally, the paper presents potential entry points for microfinance institutions to support and improve the quantity and quality of apprenticeship training and ensure its positive contribution to youth employment.
Partners of the Americas (POA) developed and implements the “A Ganar/Vencer” program, a program that targets at-risk youth, ages 16-24, in Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay. A Ganar/Vencer uses a soccer-based methodology to motivate and assist youth in translating sports skills and values into market-driven employment skills. The goal is to provide youth with the knowledge, skills, confidence, experience, and work history that will enable them to successfully compete in the marketplace.
Training includes market-driven employability skills, market-driven technical skills, practical experience, mentoring, and community service. A Ganar/Vencer training typically takes between seven to nine months and is implemented in three integrated phases.
- Phase 1 combines soccer field activities and examples with classroom activities to help youth develop key workplace skills such as teamwork and discipline. Information technology skills, discussions on gender and activities focusing on critical decision-making are also part of this highly interactive phase.
- Phase 2 brings these employability skills into hands-on activities to learn market-driven vocational/technical skills. Vocational areas vary by country and group, based on changing market conditions.
- Phase 3 offers youth the chance for practical experience via internships, apprenticeships or other activities. Throughout training, youth are mentored by members of the local business community and carry out community service.
The Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank provided $3.6 million in funding to start the program but required POA to raise an additional $1.2 million in cash match and $1.2 million of in-kind match. This match requirement motivated Partners to market itself as a training provider and training broker to potential employers, in return for funding. In order to do so, POA developed sponsorship packages and worked closely with potential employers. This helped them to ensure market relevance at the same time as they raised necessary funds.
In order to assure the market relevance of their programming, POA has developed sponsorship packages in conjunction with potential employers. Through the sponsorship packages, POA establishes partnerships with companies that are interested in hiring youth trained for a specific sector. In return, the companies provide funding to offset the cost of this training - in essence, hiring POA to be a training provider for youth employees. The situation is a win-win-win for all three parties: the companies secure low-cost, high-quality training for new hires; POA receives knowledge about growing employment sectors; and the youth receive training for jobs that are actually available upon graduation.
This project is also active in Brazil and Ecuador
SEEP PLP for Youth and Workforce Development
Paul Teeple
pteeple@partners.net
2005-Present
Partners of the Americas (POA) developed and implements the “A Ganar/Vencer” program, a program that targets at-risk youth, ages 16-24, in Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay. A Ganar/Vencer uses a soccer-based methodology to motivate and assist youth in translating sports skills and values into market-driven employment skills. The goal is to provide youth with the knowledge, skills, confidence, experience, and work history that will enable them to successfully compete in the marketplace.
Training includes market-driven employability skills, market-driven technical skills, practical experience, mentoring, and community service. A Ganar/Vencer training typically takes between seven to nine months and is implemented in three integrated phases.
- Phase 1 combines soccer field activities and examples with classroom activities to help youth develop key workplace skills such as teamwork and discipline. Information technology skills, discussions on gender and activities focusing on critical decision-making are also part of this highly interactive phase.
- Phase 2 brings these employability skills into hands-on activities to learn market-driven vocational/technical skills. Vocational areas vary by country and group, based on changing market conditions.
- Phase 3 offers youth the chance for practical experience via internships, apprenticeships or other activities. Throughout training, youth are mentored by members of the local business community and carry out community service.
The Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank provided $3.6 million in funding to start the program but required POA to raise an additional $1.2 million in cash match and $1.2 million of in-kind match. This match requirement motivated Partners to market itself as a training provider and training broker to potential employers, in return for funding. In order to do so, POA developed sponsorship packages and worked closely with potential employers. This helped them to ensure market relevance at the same time as they raised necessary funds.
In order to assure the market relevance of their programming, POA has developed sponsorship packages in conjunction with potential employers. Through the sponsorship packages, POA establishes partnerships with companies that are interested in hiring youth trained for a specific sector. In return, the companies provide funding to offset the cost of this training - in essence, hiring POA to be a training provider for youth employees. The situation is a win-win-win for all three parties: the companies secure low-cost, high-quality training for new hires; POA receives knowledge about growing employment sectors; and the youth receive training for jobs that are actually available upon graduation.
This project is also active in Brazil and Uruguay
SEEP PLP for Youth and Workforce Development
Paul Teeple
pteeple@partners.net
2005-Present
Partners of the Americas (POA) developed and implements the “A Ganar/Vencer” program, a program that targets at-risk youth, ages 16-24, in Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay. A Ganar/Vencer uses a soccer-based methodology to motivate and assist youth in translating sports skills and values into market-driven employment skills. The goal is to provide youth with the knowledge, skills, confidence, experience, and work history that will enable them to successfully compete in the marketplace.
Training includes market-driven employability skills, market-driven technical skills, practical experience, mentoring, and community service. A Ganar/Vencer training typically takes between seven to nine months and is implemented in three integrated phases.
- Phase 1 combines soccer field activities and examples with classroom activities to help youth develop key workplace skills such as teamwork and discipline. Information technology skills, discussions on gender and activities focusing on critical decision-making are also part of this highly interactive phase.
- Phase 2 brings these employability skills into hands-on activities to learn market-driven vocational/technical skills. Vocational areas vary by country and group, based on changing market conditions.
- Phase 3 offers youth the chance for practical experience via internships, apprenticeships or other activities. Throughout training, youth are mentored by members of the local business community and carry out community service.
The Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank provided $3.6 million in funding to start the program but required POA to raise an additional $1.2 million in cash match and $1.2 million of in-kind match. This match requirement motivated Partners to market itself as a training provider and training broker to potential employers, in return for funding. In order to do so, POA developed sponsorship packages and worked closely with potential employers. This helped them to ensure market relevance at the same time as they raised necessary funds.
In order to assure the market relevance of their programming, POA has developed sponsorship packages in conjunction with potential employers. Through the sponsorship packages, POA establishes partnerships with companies that are interested in hiring youth trained for a specific sector. In return, the companies provide funding to offset the cost of this training - in essence, hiring POA to be a training provider for youth employees. The situation is a win-win-win for all three parties: the companies secure low-cost, high-quality training for new hires; POA receives knowledge about growing employment sectors; and the youth receive training for jobs that are actually available upon graduation.
This project is also active in Ecuador and Uruguay
SEEP PLP for Youth and Workforce Development
Paul Teeple
pteeple@partners.net
2005-Present
