UN joint programme for employment and empowerment of young women and men in Liberia

The objective of the Joint Programme for Employment and Empowerment of Young Women and Men (JPYEE) is to promote the employability of young women and men both as a means to sustained economic growth and also as a vehicle for sustained peace and security in Liberia. The youth of Liberia are a heterogeneous group that needs targeted and differentiated interventions. The JPYEE puts emphasis on community participation in the planning of activities, including taking into account the needs/skills of displaced people who have returned to Liberia. It also recognizes that special effort is needed to ensure that young women are effectively employable and have access to decent work. The JPYEE seeks to apply the many valuable lessons learned from interventions during the humanitarian phase. The JPYEE has five interrelated components that make up the transition from a humanitarian approach to a more holistic development approach to youth employment and empowerment: • Youth policy review and institutional support to Government and Civil Society, especially youth-led organizations • Skills training for employment • Facilitating the transition of young people to employment • Empowerment and social cohesion of young people • Promoting decent work for youth in the informal economy and in agriculture and through special employment schemes in waste management and construction Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) approaches youth employment and empowerment as a cross cutting theme. The JPYEE was developed through a participatory process between the UN and the Government of Liberia (GOL). The steering committee (SC) will be co-chaired by the Minister of Youth and Sports and the UN Resident Coordinator. While the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) will be the lead Government agency for the JPYEE, other ministries will also have key roles to play in leading the implementation of specific outputs. UNICEF will be the administrative agent of the JPYEE; the ILO will fund a JPYEE programme manager (PM) for the first year. The PM reports to the Minister of Youth and Sports and the RC and convenes the SC. Each of the five programme components has clearly laid out outputs and strategies to achieve themFor the purposes of scaling up and replication, the JPYEE includes a robust mechanism for M&E, using innovative methods to provide a clear picture of progress toward programme goals.

Project symbol

LIR/09/02/CEF

Admin unit

CO-Abuja

Start date

28/08/2009

End date

31/08/2012

Total allocation

1309940

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

1309940

Development Partners

United Nations Children's Fund

Country/Countries

Liberia

Outcomes

Skills Development