The Demand-Driven Training Toolkit, by Making Cents International with support from Rockefeller Foundation, was launched on October 16, 2017, in Johannesburg, South Africa. “The toolkit is an important step in facilitating a strong relationship between the education supply and demand sides in South Africa to promote more employment opportunities for youth,” said Dr. Christy Olenik, Vice President, Technical Services, Making Cents International. Developed with input from leading South African and global education and training institutions and private sector companies, the DDT toolkit offers information, tools, and resources to better align workforce development to employer needs and helps education and training institutions become more effective.
Read the full article here (column on far right).
Demand-driven training toolkit: Making the match for youth and employers
Johannesburg – The Rockefeller Foundation and Making Cents International are pleased to announce the launch of the Demand-Driven Training for Youth Employment Toolkit (DDT) on Friday October 19, 2017, at the Emoyeni Conference Center in Johannesburg, South Africa. A capacity building workshop and reception will feature the toolkit authors and key stakeholders from the government, private sector, and educational institutions. The DDT Toolkit is designed to help workforce training providers and employers address the current global mismatch between youth skills and employer needs.
The current rate of job creation in Africa is insufficient for the needs of the continent’s growing youth population, which is expected to double to 400 million by 2045. Through its Digital Jobs Africa (DJA) initiative, the Rockefeller Foundation has been working to address that gap by working to ensure that the continent’s youth are prepared with the right skills—job-specific technical training and soft skills—for long-term success.
Over the past year, Making Cents International has collaborated with Rockefeller to conduct research and develop resources that will support the successful adoption and scaling of demand-driven training for employment programs. This work contributes to strengthening the capacity of youth education and training providers and institutions in South Africa and globally.
Unlike “demand-aware” or “demand-aligned training”, which offer education and training in theory and skills deemed useful for general employment or sector-specific work, “demand-driven training” prepares young workers for specific occupational roles that employers are looking to fill. The Toolkit will help facilitate:
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Partnerships between employers and education and training institutions and providers
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Screening, assessments, and profiling resources to support positive job matching scenarios
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Soft skills development (e.g. dependability, problem-solving, collaboration, perseverance)
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Youth mentoring that supports young people’s personal and professional growth
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Practical and on-the-job training
The DDT Toolkit, developed with input from leading South African and global education and training institutions, private sector companies, offers a practical approach—with accompanying information, tools, and resources—to better align workforce development to employer needs and helps education and training institutions become more effective. The Toolkit will be provided in an easy-to-use format, available free of charge online and as a downloadable, interactive PDF document.
Demand-driven training can play an increasingly significant role in building inclusive local economies and helping to secure livelihoods for disadvantaged youth. When young people are provided with the training and skills employers actually want, communities thrive and youth can fulfill their potential.
Download the full toolkit here.
