Agroforestry Skills for Employment and Resilience in Timor.

The European Union (EU) Agroforestry Skills for Employment and Resilience in Timor-Leste (EU Agroforestry-Skills Programme) seeks to promote green and sustainable economic diversification and resilience in Timor-Leste through private sector development, technical and vocational education training (TVET) for youth integration in the labour market. Carried out over 48 months, the Programme will contribute to the diversification of the Timorese economy, youth employment and strengthening of rural TVET. The entry point is through private sector development, namely by tapping into the potential of the agroforestry sector. One of the priorities of the Government of Timor-Leste is to diversify the economy, giving special focus to Agroforestry private sector development. This involves enhancing the small and medium enterprises sector, while also removing some of the binding constraints to private sector growth and improving infrastructure, increasing efficiency in the public sector, facilitating credit, and the building up of skilled labour. A lack of skilled workers and high youth unemployment, particularly of young women, are major development challenges. The Agroforestry-Skills Programme aims to increase quality employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the agroforestry sector through skills and private sector development, for youth, particularly young women and girls, while promoting a green and circular economy. The Programme will facilitate skills provision in TVET to be more closely aligned with the needs of the local rural economy of the target geographies, supported by improved capacity of trainers and training institutions and greater participation of industry and the private sector. These factors are critical for ensuring that TVET programmes are producing graduates with the skills that employers in the area are seeking and/or local entrepreneurship capabilities are enhanced. The Programme is focused through four outputs: -Creation and development of an observatory of the Agroforestry Sector to identify the green and circular economy needs and opportunities for employment of the agroforestry sector in Timor-Leste. -Improvement in the quality and inclusivity of the TVET through the development of processes and methodologies linked to the private sector demands and training offers. -An increase in the skills and competences of managers, trainers, and trainees of Agroforestry TVET organisations in Timor-Leste. -Youth and women are further integrated in the labour market and employment, using digital platforms and facilitation services. This Programme will provide a direct response to the growth priorities of Timor-Leste by supporting private sector development, job creation for youth and women and diversification of the economy - to improve their livelihoods, productivity and competitiveness. On the supply side, increased skills capacity in Agroforestry entrepreneurship will support industry development. At the same time, TVET delivery which increases skills capacity in the green and circular economy, as well as resilience, will be the underpinning approach to the Programme.

Project symbol

TLS/23/01/EUR

Admin unit

CO-Jakarta

Start date

01/09/2023

End date

31/08/2027

Total allocation

5309321

Total expenditure

Status

Active

2679566

Development Partners

Delegation of the European Union to Thailand

Country/Countries

Timor-Leste

Outcomes

Outcome 3: Full and productive employment for just transitions