WHAT IS STEP?
STEP is an initiative that empowers youth, enhances job creation, and increases access to skills development opportunities.
Duration, Funding and Implementation:
The Skills and Technical Education Programme (STEP) is for four years, running from 2016 to 2020.
The total budget for the programme is 32.6 million EUR. It is fully funded by the European Union through the 11th European Development Fund.
STEP is being partially implemented by UNESCO (9 million EUR) and partially by the Government of Malawi and grant beneficiaries. The seven sub-projects (4.5 million Euro) being run by the grant beneficiaries are:
| Name | Grant Beneficiary | Links |
| Solar Photovoltaic Electrical Technician Training Program | Lead applicant: Mzuzu Technical College Co-applicants: Miracle Technical Institute, Zayed Energy and Ecology Centre |
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| Hope for Youth | Lead applicant: Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund Co-applicants: CADECOM |
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| Vocational skills training and empowerment for vulnerable and marginalized young people in conflict with the law and persons with albinism | Lead applicant: Prison Fellowship Malawi Co-applicants: Music Crossroads |
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| Skills training for economic empowerment of street children and disadvantaged youth in Blantyre and Zomba | Lead applicant: Samaritan Trust Co-applicants: Bwalo Initiative |
Website:samaritantrust.org |
| Vocational Skills Development in Malawi | Lead applicant: LO/FTF CouncilcCo-applicants: Malawi Congress of Trade Unions | |
| Capacity building of vulnerable youth in Dowa district through vocational training | Lead applicant: There is Hope | |
| Constructing jobs, building lives project | Lead applicant: SOS Children’s Villages Co-applicants: Young Africa International HUB, The Children’s Fund, Habitat for Humanity Malawi |
OVERALL OBJECTIVE
To empower the TEVET sector and its capacity to satisfy the economy’s need for professionals through improvement of equitable and gender-balanced TEVET
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE 1
Promote equitable and gender-balanced access to TEVET
Result 1.1: Infrastructure of selected TEVET training and assessment institutions is upgraded to improve access
Result 1.2: Enrolment and retention rates of female students and vulnerable per-sons are increased.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE 2
Improve the quality and relevance of TEVET
Result 2.1: Harmonization of the assessment and certification system is improved
Result 2.2: TEVET teachers’ and instructors’ technical and pedagogical skills are upgraded
Result 2.3: Formal training programmes are reviewed to be more demand-driven and experiential models for entrepreneurship are developed
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE 3
Strengthen the governance and management of TEVET regulatory bodies and training institutions
Result 3.1: Partnership and collaboration between stakeholders strengthened
Result 3.2: Governance and management capacity in the TEVET sector, including the training provider level, is improved
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM
The project implementation and management team is based in Malawi and supported by UNESCO’s Regional Office for Southern Africa in Harare, UNESCO-HQ in Paris and UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre in Bonn. The team is responsible for coordination of activities and management of the operational budget of the project based on an Inception Plan (including planned commitments and disbursements) plus annual work plans prepared and subsequently approved by the European Union Delegation (EUD).
A Project Steering Committee (PSC) is established to guide the programme. The PSC meets bi-annually and more often if needed. The chair of the PSC is the Minister of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development and members include representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Trade, TEVETA, representatives of the private sector, UNESCO and the NAO Support Unit. The EU participates as an observer. The Steering Committee is the body responsible for the general oversight, policy guidance and monitoring of the programme.