Context:
Mauritania has a population of 4.06 million and GDP of US$5.442 billion. While unemployment rate is 11.7%, unemployment among female youth (13.6%) is higher than that among male youth (10.8%). Around 6 out of 10 Mauritanian youth do not have the sufficient employment skills leading to low productivity or unemployment. The adjusted net enrolment rate for upper secondary education is very low and reached 8.7% in 2014. In 2015, 18% of Mauritanian youth had volunteered in an organization.
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors agreed to support Mauritania’s economic growth and preparation of youth for jobs through the Skills Development Support Project which was implemented from 2011 till 2017.
Implementation of programme/ initiative:
Skills Development Support Project is implemented by the World Bank. The project aims at enhancing the efficiency and quality of training institutions and enabling a more market-driven environment in the Technical and Vocational Education Training System (TVET). More specifically, the project aims at increasing the number of students graduating from apprenticeship programs and TVET institutions.
Main challenges:
- Political and governance
- Technical design of project
- TVET capacity for implementation and sustainability
- Stakeholders
Results achieved:
The project reached 13,886 beneficiaries, out of which 27% were females. A total of 6,403 diploma graduates received skills training. A total of 7,751 youth received short-term or apprenticeship training; and 71.5% of those trainees were employed. The project conducted a training needs assessment for TVET centres, and developed a legal framework for skills development. A total of 400 instructors completed the TVET training program.
Moving Forward:
- N/A
Replicability:
A similar project was undergone in Rwanda with a larger budget. The project was also funded by the World Bank, but it was implemented by the Ministry of Education.
References:
AHDR 2016
World Bank, 2016
International Labor Organization, 2016
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/04/30/world-bank-supports-technical-and-vocational-education-to-prepare-youth-for-jobs-in-mauritania
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/475051485215888273/pdf/ISR-Disclosable-P118974-01-23-2017-1485215878329.pdf
Project Details
Date: October 12, 2017