Employability for Youth and Women in South Africa (EYWA) Project
What is the Narrative of the Employability for Youth and Women in South Africa(EYWA) Project?
The EYWA project is committed to developing the capabilities of civil society groups in South Africa, with a specific focus on women and youth organisations. The project aims to promote gender equality and facilitate the integration of young individuals into the workforce.
The primary objective of this initiative is to enhance job opportunities and economic circumstances for women and youth residing in underprivileged areas within Johannesburg, Gauteng province. EYWA intends to accomplish this mission by:
1. Providing unwavering support to women and young individuals who lead entrepreneurial ventures.
2. Developing the skills of women and youth networks, empowering their participation in political discussions, and forging unbreakable partnerships between the public and private sectors to address the socioeconomic status and economic integration of women and youth.
3. Championing initiatives that aim to prevent gender-based violence.
Our Target audience (addressed to)
The project’s methodology could be advantageous for underprivileged women and newly established woman-led start-ups (within their first year of creation), unemployed young individuals and women aged 18-35 from demoted areas who will receive awareness training and can leverage the project’s outcomes with South African partners or other local entities involved in the project, trainers specialising in entrepreneurship and vocational training, as well as civil society organizations (CSOs) operating within the local community and focusing on empowering women and youth in disadvantaged areas.
How it works
The EYWA project will conduct workshops and cross-cutting activities aimed at encouraging public-private partnerships within the community. Additionally, it will implement the following initiatives to offer direct support to its beneficiaries:
1. Providing specialised entrepreneurship training for women through tailored courses delivered by the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
2. Facilitating self-employment training for young individuals to foster independent work, under the coordination of the Lulalab Foundation.
3. Offering Dual Vocational Training (FP) in three specific fields: photovoltaic energy, information technologies for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and culinary arts and hospitality. This training program will blend classroom instruction with hands-on experience in companies, in collaboration with the YES institution.
4. The project also includes the provision of 50 grants to successful graduates – both young people and women – enabling them to kickstart their own businesses.
Goals
This project aims to equip 400 disadvantaged youth and women with new professional skills, making them more employable and helping them start their own businesses. It will also strengthen community networks, especially civil society organisations led by youth and women. At least 15 CSOs and 100 collaborating companies will participate in the project.