[{"bbox": [129, 181, 241, 206], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## SUMMARY"}, {"bbox": [129, 221, 1100, 424], "category": "Text", "text": "Through a comprehensive approach, the action aims at satisfying the economy's need for skilled professionals and providing decent jobs and self-employment opportunities for young technical and vocational education and training (TVET) graduates and entrepreneurs, in particular women. Through this action, the rights to work, education, equal treatment of women and men and non-discrimination will be promoted. Decent jobs should provide an adequate standard of living in terms of health, well-being and dignity for the workers and their families, therefore contributing to peace, development and human rights."}, {"bbox": [129, 436, 1100, 495], "category": "Text", "text": "Departing from the identified needs and opportunities of the Malawian labour market, the action will have two main pillars alongside a continuum of skills, entrepreneurship and access to finance."}, {"bbox": [129, 506, 1100, 710], "category": "Text", "text": "Firstly, the action will increase the capacity of the duty bearers - namely the state - to promote the right to work and provide technical and professional education, specifically in the TVET sector, through the expansion and improvement of equitable, safe and gender-balanced vocational education and training (VET). Secondly, the action will create a framework that can support and accompany TVET graduates and other youth, in particular women, to successfully start their own businesses, through tailored pre-incubation, incubation and post-incubation services, including access to seed financing."}, {"bbox": [129, 721, 1100, 780], "category": "Text", "text": "This action is thereby fully aligned to the new Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs, in particular the following areas:"}, {"bbox": [129, 791, 1100, 990], "category": "Text", "text": "(i) Investing in people by investing in education and skills, in particular on TVET and entrepreneurship. Most of the interventions in this area will complement activities already started under the Skills and Technical Education Programme (STEP) programme: expanding existing TVET institutions with additional infrastructure and equipment, continuing to invest in technical instructor training, implementation of a market information system, enhancement of attachment opportunities for students and instructors with the industry, and continuing support to the Ministry of Labour."}, {"bbox": [129, 1007, 1100, 1268], "category": "Text", "text": "(ii) Business environment and investment climate: with business skills virtually absent amongst the youth and a limited supply of Business Development Services (BDS), this action envisages building the pipeline of future entrepreneurs, including TVET graduates that have benefited from EU investments in the sector. The action will develop the supporting ecosystem of Business Incubators and BDS providers, which cater in particular to the needs of the youth and female TVET graduates and entrepreneurs, including a key dimension of access to seed financing. The programme will support and accompany beneficiaries from the improvement of their skills and early stages of the entrepreneurial journey, through the development of the idea, incubation and post-incubation period."}, {"bbox": [129, 1279, 1100, 1421], "category": "Text", "text": "In addition to the new Africa-Europe Alliance, the action is also relevant for the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as it contributes primarily to the progressive achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 4 and 5. It is also aligned to the new European Consensus on Development², notably under the theme Prosperity – Inclusive and Sustainable Growth and Jobs."}, {"bbox": [129, 1591, 338, 1615], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² OJ C 210 of 30.6.2017."}, {"bbox": [608, 1666, 622, 1689], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "3"}]