The Youth Training and Employment Specialist will be responsible for overseeing the technical quality and delivery of our results-oriented program activities and providing leadership in developing, managing, and implementing the technical aspects of technical, vocational, or entrepreneurial training interventions with a specific focus on adolescent girls and vulnerable women.
Essential Responsibilities:
The Youth Training and Employment Specialist’s specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Provide strategic leadership of all programmatic activities concerned with training and employment opportunities, income generation programs/opportunities, youth entrepreneurships, life skills trainings, and internships.
Develop and oversee implementation of youth training and employment work plans/targets, curriculums, training materials, budgets, and reports.
Coordinate strategy and activities with any implementing partners, national and local government authorities involved in and responsible for education and economic development.
Manage and mentor staff in workforce and employment readiness, entrepreneurship trainings, and connecting adolescent girls and vulnerable women to market opportunities and networks.
Coordinate closely on data collection to measure impacts as well as track program graduates and employment opportunities.
QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND:
Education:
Bachelor’s degree required (master’s degree would be a distinct asset) in economics, education, gender in development, or related discipline.
Supplemental training in workforce and employment readiness, youth training, entrepreneurship training, monitoring and evaluation, gender analysis/mainstreaming strongly preferred.
Work Experience:
Minimum of five years of experience in a leadership position for developing, managing, and/or implementing technical, vocational, or entrepreneurial training interventions, preferably for youth.
Minimum of three years of experience working on the technical training strategies, including individualized training plans, skills assessments, life-skill, technical, and entrepreneurial materials/curriculum development, training management, and training monitoring and information systems.
Experience in performing training needs assessments, developing corresponding training programs, evaluating training, and evaluating the impact of training on skills acquisition and employability.
Understanding of exploitive labor issues, including child labor and the special education and training needs of children and youth removed from exploitive labor conditions.
Experience working successfully with government agencies, network of vocational training associations, employers’ organizations, and trade unions or comparable entities.
Experience developing mechanisms and tools to accurately determine market needs, and utilizing the results to contribute to the creation of market driven technical or employment training programs.
Experience working successfully with government agencies and employers to promote employment opportunities for youth, preferably in Zambia.
Experience working with employer’s organizations, trade unions or other civil society organizations on issues related to employment opportunities for at-risk youth.
Understanding of labor issues and local labor regulations, including those related to securing non-hazardous, non-exploitive employment opportunities for youth of legal working age.
Experience managing and monitoring integrated US Government programs and budgets strongly preferred.
Skills:
Strong skills in financial management, writing, monitoring and evaluation required.
Proficiency in one or more of Zambia’s major languages (Bemba, Kaonde, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga) is required. English proficiency is recommended.
