Enhancing Market Participation and Learning Opportunities for Young Women (EMPLOY)

This project supports young women living in poverty in 3 major cities in the South of Ghana (Accra Kumasi and Takoradi) and 4 surrounding regions through access to decent dignified high paying work in sectors. The project trains and empowers young women to enter careers in high paying trades such as welding heavy duty machinery solar installation and automotive mechanics. It supports these young women by placing them in internships mentoring them and awarding them scholarships. Also the project supports them to find decent work in the private sector both in formal employment and as entrepreneurs. The project aims to build the capacity of 72 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes to deliver gender-sensitive skills training. The project also collaborates with industry partners to hire promote and retain women in the workplace. As part of the important work to improve societal attitudes toward women in trades the project aims to conduct significant outreach to religious and community leaders instructors at TVET schools the Ghana TVET Commission the Ghana TVET Service and industry partners to help improve the enabling environment for women’s economic empowerment.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved training environment enabling young women’s participation in economic growth in Ghana; (2) enhanced transition from skills training to employment and entrepreneurship for young women in Ghana; and (3) increased sustained participation of young women in high paying economic sectors in Ghana.