Youth Employment Acceleration through Market-Driven Vocational, Enterprise and Digital Skills Development targeting 3000 unemployed youth

The Youth Employment Acceleration Program (YEAP) is a two-year, gender-responsive initiative implemented by Nanziga Women Development Initiative (NAWODI) to tackle youth unemployment and economic exclusion by equipping 3,000 unemployed youth (2,000 young women and 1,000 young men) with market-relevant vocational, enterprise, and digital skills.
The project responds to persistent barriers facing youth, particularly out-of-school young women, young mothers, and marginalized young men, including lack of practical skills, digital illiteracy, limited access to start-up capital, weak market linkages, and exclusion from formal employment pathways. YEAP adopts an end-to-end approach that moves youth from mobilization and skilling to graduation, enterprise development, and employment placement. YEAP will deliver customized vocational training aligned to local labor market demand in tailoring and fashion design, hairdressing and beauty therapy, school book making, welding and metal fabrication, and pavers and block making. Training will be highly practical, with at least 70% hands-on learning, supported by local vocational institutions and experienced artisans. Curricula will be co-designed with employers and market actors to ensure relevance and employability. To strengthen livelihoods beyond technical skills, the project integrates enterprise development and financial literacy, equipping youth with skills in business planning, savings, pricing, customer care, record keeping, and cooperative enterprise development. Youth will also receive digital skilling, including mobile money use, digital marketing, online transactions, and basic ICT skills, enabling them to access wider markets and operate modern micro-enterprises. Graduates will be supported with starter tools and kits, mentorship, and linkages to local employers, suppliers, and buyers. Youth-led group enterprises and Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) will be formed and strengthened to improve access to finance, peer support, and business growth. The project will work closely with employers, artisans, and local governments to facilitate apprenticeships, job placements, and sustainable market connections. YEAP prioritizes gender equality, inclusion, and community ownership, ensuring safe participation for young women and youth with disabilities, and embedding youth voices in implementation and feedback mechanisms. By the end of the project, at least 70% of trained youth are expected to be self-employed or in wage employment, with increased and more resilient incomes.