Green Skills Recovery Program - GSRP

UNIYIA recognizes that there is a huge unemployment gap among youth in most African countries and the impact of COVID-19 was merciless on youth and marginalized groups. By 2030, young Africans are expected to make up 42% of the world’s youth and account for 75% of those under age 35 in Africa. Young people currently constitute 10.6 % of unemployed Africans and with the youth population of Africa expected to increase, this calls for concern. According to the International Labour Organization, young people are three times as likely as adults (25 years and older) to be unemployed. This is partly because of their limited work experience when they are applying for entry-level jobs, there are also major structural barriers preventing young people from entering the labor market.

Hence the need to propose solid interventions to curb the high rates of unemployment regionally and at national levels to meet global demands and standards. As we move towards recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, our new normal could look different as 84% of employers are set to significantly expand remote working. Also, by 2025, 85 million jobs could be lost to automation, while 97 million new roles will spring up at the interface between humans, machines, artificial intelligence, algorithms, etc.

With the GSRP, UNIYIA will train and capacitate youths in marginalized communities with modern skills sets they would need to thrive in an ever-growing and changing technologically advanced economy to meet the demands of a global market. Beneficiaries of the Green Skills Recovery Program would be trained in digital skills which will comprise basic and advanced computer skills, coding, remote working tools; and go through a series of mentorship to help equip them with soft skills in leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

This program proposes three sets of interventions.

Phase 1: Job Readiness & Self Discovery: This phase would involve equipping participants with the necessary skills and knowledge that would help them identify their skill sets which will usher them in identifying their right career paths.

Phase 2: Capacity building & Skills Training: This phase will be more hands-on where participants will be taken through a series of training that will equip them with skills to work in the virtual space and make them job-ready. Modules will include coding, graphic design, web development, digital marketing, etc. This phase is to mainly help the youth recover and make them ready for the new normal COVID-19 has ushered us into.

Phase 3: Mentorship & Project Development: One thing that is very integral in the career paths of young professionals is access to guidance, coaching, and mentorship. This phase will be solely meant for pairing beneficiaries of GSRP to mentors in their selected fields to enhance experiential learning and also motivate the youth to aspire to greater heights. After completion of all 3 phases, beneficiaries would be taken through practical sessions on how to use skills acquired in the GSRP program to solve societal problems in their communities.