ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) began work in Ethiopia in 2000 in response to severe drought in Ethiopia’s Somali Region. IRC is currently providing assistance to disaster-affected and high-risk communities in the Oromia; Tigray; Gambella; Benishangul-Gumuz; Somali and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Regions, and to refugees in eighteen refugee camps across the country. IRC is implementing emergency water and sanitation activities, education, child protection and youth and livelihoods program activities, conducting agricultural activities, working with pastoralists on improving animal health, raising awareness on HIV/AIDS, family planning, and polio, and conducting community-based activities to reduce morbidity and mortality among children under five.
PROGRAM BACKGROUND:
The IRC’s Child and Youth Protection and Development (CYPD) unit responds to the complex needs of children and youth who are living in conflict and post-conflict situations. The CYPD Unit provides IRC field programs with technical and strategic expertise and oversight on emergency protection and comprehensive psychosocial care for displaced and other at-risk children and youth. CYPD programs prevent and respond to the abuse, exploitation, and neglect of young people while strengthening environments that enable them to access education, get jobs, and develop socially and emotionally. One of the most critical focus areas is the Youth & Livelihoods (Y&L) program.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) as a technical partner will work with World Vision and other project partners on the E4Y project funded by US DOL. The Youth Employment and Livelihoods Specialist will provide technical support to WV staff to help Ethiopian youth, particularly young women, develop marketable skills to secure decent work and serve as leaders in their communities. The project will target vulnerable youth ages 14 to 17, promoting education and vocational training and decent work opportunities for those of appropriate work age. The project will also seek to enhance livelihoods for youth and their households, support civic engagement of youth, and encourage youth to take on leadership roles within their communities.
SCOPE
The Youth Employment and Livelihoods Specialist provides leadership and technical support on market assessments, entrepreneurship and employability skills material adaptation and trainings and Micro-franchise development aspects of the E4Y program. He will work with WV and partner organizations involved in the project, and will be responsible to advise on and monitor technical quality, and supporting partner staff in completion of activities within the project period.
Key responsibilities include:
The Youth Employment and Livelihoods Specialist works alongside the E4Y project team , and reports to the Project Director on day-to-day project management, and is co-supervised by IRC Child and Youth Protection and Development coordinator based in Addis Ababa. The position is based in Addis Ababa, with frequent travel to intervention areas for technical support, monitoring and evaluation of program activities. He will also have a technical oversight and supervision of four Business and Entrepreneurship Technical Advisors (BETA’S) who will be hired under this project.
· Design and oversee the delivery of market assessments that support identification of appropriate youth employment and livelihood opportunities
· Ensure that interventions/activities reflect market demand and are based on accepted best practices and strategies for youth that will enhance their future employability
· Train WV project staff in the agreed interventions/activities and ensure cascaded training is delivered to high quality
· Adapt and/or refine curricula that promote opportunities for youth and reflect market analysis and demand;
· Monitor program performance in meeting established objectives, redesigning initiatives as appropriate;
· Work with the project team, including partner staff, and others to ensure that all interventions take into account the holistic needs and capabilities of youth and support their protection and development;
· Work with partner organizations, private sector partners, academic partners, educational and technical training institutions and relevant ministries and officials as needed for effective project delivery;
· Ensure that youth are actively and meaningfully engaged at all stages of the project cycle.
· Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s Degree preferred) or higher in economics, business, education, international development, or other human development related field. Four years/six years of professional work experience for MA and BA respectively.
Minimum of three years of experience in a leadership position responsible for developing youth employment and livelihood interventions such as life skills training, micro-lending, savings programs, micro-franchising, employment generation, alternative/additional income generation, apprenticeships, internships, entrepreneurship, occupational safety and health training, and labor market analysis.
· Experience in projects promoting livelihood interventions and youth employment in Ethiopia.
· Understanding of child labor issues, including youth employment.
· Experience working successfully with government agencies, private sector organizations, civil society organizations, employers, and unions engaged in promoting improved livelihoods for households and youth employment programs.
· Fluency in Amharic and English required