[{"bbox": [85, 152, 341, 185], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2 Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [97, 203, 512, 232], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### Priority areas for support / Needs analysis"}, {"bbox": [97, 238, 1135, 374], "category": "Text", "text": "Building on the EU's Youth Rising project achievements, the proposed Action identifies the following strategic areas for continued support: (i) TVET quality and relevance; (ii) TVET access and equity (iii) Governance of the TVET sector; (iv) Financing of the TVET sector. Identified priorities in each of the strategic areas are mutually reinforcing and closely aligned to the Government of Liberia's draft Education Sector Plan (2022) and draft national TVET policy (2022-2027), expected to be enacted soon."}, {"bbox": [135, 397, 433, 426], "category": "Section-header", "text": "#### (i) Quality and relevance:"}, {"bbox": [97, 434, 1135, 677], "category": "Text", "text": "**Needs analysis:** There is a sharp mismatch between TVET and labour market needs for skilled labour. Market oriented TVET programmes are scarce, particularly in hard-to-reach counties. Private sector is only minimally involved in TVET governance and delivery; very few Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) exist. VTCs are poorly equipped, with dilapidated infrastructure, inadequate access to basic facilities, including water, sanitation, and power, limited supply of teaching and learning material, and absence of guidance and career counselling services. The acute shortage of qualified instructors with practical work experience also contributes to low-learning outcomes. VTCs are generally staffed with ageing, unskilled, poorly compensated and demotivated instructors or rely on volunteers and contractors. There is an urgent need to expand the offer of demand-driven skills in Liberia, by scaling-up the Youth Rising project to the 8 counties which have not yet received EU/Sweden support."}, {"bbox": [97, 687, 360, 715], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**Priority areas for support:**"}, {"bbox": [135, 723, 1135, 779], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Identification of emerging trades and skills needs in all counties, including enabling the workforce for a green transition;"}, {"bbox": [135, 786, 1135, 895], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Consolidate a dedicated institution for capacity building of TVET management staff and instructors in the Booker Washington Institute and establish a comprehensive Human Resources Development (HRD) plan for the TVET sub-sector (building on Youth's Rising project's concept note to establish a Centre for Professional Training, Research and Innovation (TCPTRI));"}, {"bbox": [135, 902, 646, 931], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Train teachers on new competency-based curricula;"}, {"bbox": [135, 939, 825, 968], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Roll-out updated competency-based curriculum and learning materials;"}, {"bbox": [135, 975, 1135, 1110], "category": "List-item", "text": "* Improve links with the private sector, including in the informal economy, with a focus on guidance and career counselling services, the establishment of new partnerships and innovative actions to support school-to-work transition (e.g., through an Innovation fund to stimulate pursuit of the Self-Employed Entrepreneur career pathway; Career Club-based Production Units; out-of-school youth cooperative enterprises);"}, {"bbox": [171, 1116, 1135, 1225], "category": "Text", "text": "Enhance TVET staff performance, with a focus on support to entrepreneurship and innovation skills (e.g. adapt the Learning Manual for TVET management staff training on Entrepreneurship and Innovation skills development to needs of TVET instructors; pilot simulated Work Based Learning systems through TVET graduate and/or out-of-school youth Cooperative enterprises)."}, {"bbox": [135, 1248, 394, 1277], "category": "Section-header", "text": "#### (ii) Access and equity:"}, {"bbox": [97, 1285, 1135, 1580], "category": "Text", "text": "**Needs analysis:** The spatial distribution of TVET students is highly uneven across the country: 43% of VTCs are concentrated in Montserrado (in and around the Capital Monrovia), followed by Nimba (23%) and Margibi (12%)⁷. An overwhelming majority (84%) of students are located in the same counties. Bong and Grand Bassa counties account for less than 1% of TVET students. Girl's education is negatively influenced by social norms and gender barriers, including low proportion of female teachers, and inadequate water and sanitation facilities in VTCs. According to the Ministry of Education, in 2019/2020, only 14,315 students were enrolled in TVET, of which only 31% were female. Young Liberian women have significantly higher unemployment rates than young men (41% versus 28%). The Youth Rising project has generated a lot of interest from young women in accessing TVET and employment opportunities in traditionally male-dominated trades. The vast majority of children with disabilities are not enrolled in any type of education, in great part because VTCs lack adequate infrastructure, teaching and learning materials for students with disabilities and at-risk and there is a general lack of awareness of disabilities"}, {"bbox": [85, 1622, 520, 1647], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ Due to the presence of the Booker Washington Institute."}, {"bbox": [1037, 1680, 1145, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 24"}]