Footprints Project
Since 2005, travelers like you have helped us change the world through micro-donations.
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A total of
9502
Travelers
-
donated
$30092.84
(100% funded) -
to help improve
Employment
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impacting
2000
people -
in
Vanuatu
Project background
In Vanuatu, skills shortages are limiting the opportunity for young women and men to find employment and make productive contributions to their economy and community. Limited schooling and a high youth population are leading to low levels of participation in tertiary education and poor job prospects. The formal education system is failing to provide youth with the required skills to prosper in the workforce, and there is insufficient access to opportunities for professional development and training. This is leading to high unemployment and disadvantage.
Project approach
This project addresses the skills gap that disadvantages many young people in Vanuatu. In partnership with Youth Challenge Vanuatu (YCV), Oxfam has delivered job readiness and entrepreneurial training to youth with no or low-level qualifications, providing them with the skills to enable them to go on to entry-level employment, to begin a social or micro-enterprise, or to go on to vocational training. The program aims to provide youth with the confidence, networks and soft skills to succeed in their careers.
Key objectives for the project will be:
- Increased higher education opportunities.
- Increased access to employment.
- Increased youth entrepreneurship and self-employment.
Ultimately, this project aims to improve the welfare and livelihoods of young people in Vanuatu. Empowering them to be active and engaged citizens and strong future leaders.
Project outcomes
Funding from the Footprints Network has contributed towards the following project outcomes:
- 15 young people have graduated from Ready for Business training and all 15 have started small businesses.
- 29 young people have graduated from Ready for Work training and 5 participants have secured full-time employment.
- 31 young people have attended First Steps to Business sessions.
- 16 young people attended Civic Education sessions.
- 47 young people attended job seeking sessions.
- 94 young people completed life skills sessions.
Case study: Meet Florian
Florian (pictured above. Image credit: Artur Fancisco) is a recent graduate of the Ready for Business programme, an eight-week course run by Oxfam partner Youth Challenge Vanuatu. It aims to give young people a pathway into employment or starting their own businesses through equipping them with the resources, confidence and skills they need to thrive. Florian’s entrepreneurial zest and passion for cleaning up the environment perfectly aligned with her new venture – weaving colourful wallets from discarded plastic rubbish.
"It’s been really important for me to actually engage with this programme, to help me to learn more new things, to help my business to grow… Before, I didn’t really know how to price some of my products. But on the course I learned how to do pricing based on the quality and different material used." Says Florian. “When the course ends, Oxfam gives us a grant to start our business. The money is used for business expenses, like paying for the zippers or thread.”
What next?
This project will continue until 2023 and is part of Oxfam’s strategy to reduce structural barriers and inequalities that constrain the opportunities and voice of women, young people and people with disability in Vanuatu.
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