Youth Training Expert at UN-Habitat

Youth Training Expert

DUTY STATION: Nairobi with travel to Mogadishu/ Somalia
FUNCTIONAL TITLE: Youth Training Expert
DURATION: 6 months
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 12 July 2015

BACKGROUND:

UN-Habitat Somalia is implementing the Federal Government of Somalia – United Nations Joint Programme on Youth Employment together with UNDP, FAO and ILO under the Peace and State Building Goal 4 “Economic Foundations”. The joint programme targets three outcomes:

1. Improved long-term potential for growth, productivity and inclusive employment through six value chains implementation plans.
2. Enhanced longer-term employability of youth in sectors with high growth and employment potential.
3. Productive infrastructure rehabilitated through labour-intensive methods.

UN-Habitat’s contribution lies in component 2: Enhancing longer-term employability through of youth through skills development. The goal of UN-Habitat’s contribution to the joint programme is to improve the livelihoods of conflict affected youth, both men and women, through the development of a One Stop Youth Resource Centre in Mogadishu and 2 satellite centres in other urban districts in Somalia that address the livelihood and psychosocial needs of Somali youth in a holistic manner.
The main objectives of the One Stop Youth Resource Centre are to:

• Increase employment opportunities for youth through vocational and business skills training and promotion of entrepreneurial practices,
• Provide safe spaces for youth to meet and access - in addition to livelihood and employment training - life skills training, psychosocial information and support as well as educational and social resources and activities.

Previous and on-going experience in Mogadishu has enabled the development of key focus areas based on primary needs and gaps in the local economy. A key component of the One Stop Youth Resource Centre in Mogadishu will therefore focus on construction skills training and construction material production. Mogadishu’s construction sector is booming and strongly contributes to the recovery and development of the city, not only in enabling the physical reconstruction of the city but also in stimulating further economic growth through linkages to other economic sectors such as ancillary industries, suppliers and contractors. Construction also plays a significant role in employment as it is a labour-intensive industry with manpower requirements ranging from highly skilled professionals to unskilled laborers.

The construction industry in the city also sees a high percentage of imported construction materials; this leads to high construction and transportation costs. Producing basic construction materials locally not only protects the environment and reduces dependency on the world market, but also constitutes a large economic opportunity for the city, and the wider country.

Providing vocational skills training in the production of construction materials to unemployed youth and supporting them to generate their own income, access wider employment in the sector, or potentially start-up a small construction business, offers an unequalled opportunity to create livelihoods for a whole sector of society; one whose potential to boost the economy and promote peace is often disregarded or underutilised.
The present consultancy assignment contributes to UN-Habitat’s part of the Joint Programme on Youth Employment by providing advice to the Somalia Programme on youth issues, needs and desires, on youth led development, mobilizing youth, youth training, etc. and by supporting programme execution.

Project Context:

As a consequence of 20 years of conflict, Somalia is faced with a very young population at a median age of 17.7 years old. 37% of the total population is urban, a number which is expected to increase at a rate of 3.79% annually. The conflict has led to large-scale internal displacement. Lacking the funds to move and resettle elsewhere, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and rural-urban migrants remain in the city, as their best chance of accessing livelihood opportunities.
Unemployment rates have soared, particularly among youth. 67% of Somali youth are unemployed. In a country where youth (aged between 14 – 29 years old) comprise 42% of the population, this constitutes a significant challenge. Faced with grim prospects for the future, over 60% of Somali youth have intentions to leave the country for better livelihood opportunities. Conflict, poverty, being jobless and voiceless leave youth frustrated, and can fuel conflict escalation and anti-social or violent behavior; this has significant social costs.

For example, with regards to inland militia activities and piracy, youth form the bulk of the force hired to carry out risky manual tasks such as manning the frontline and leading attacks. Payout for these tasks is estimated to be very meager— an average of $50 USD per month. With a major section of society in destitution, youth are drawn to these illicit engagements partly out of the need to make ends meet.

In the Somali region, as in most other post-conflict contexts, institutions have to be built again, and with them, the human capacity to manage and guide development. In this context, capacity development is not easy, but it remains the foundational activity for creating sustainable urban centres.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following activities shall be conducted within the framework of the present assignment, under the supervision of UN-Habitat Somalia Programme and Youth and Livelihoods Unit. All activities shall be undertaken in close coordination with the project coordinator.
• Provide guidance and technical advice youth issues, needs and desires, on youth led development, mobilizing youth, youth training, etc.
• Support programme execution by conducting required research and analyses; contributing to developing and managing Agreements of Cooperation with implementing partners, consultancy contracts, small scale service agreements and other contracts; contributing to managing consultants and partners ensuring timely delivery of outputs; contributing to narrative and financial reporting, monitoring and evaluation, including data cleaning and analyzing; contributing to visibility and communication measures, and supporting the project coordinator and the implementing partners in any other required way.
• Support the design and implementation of training courses for youth, in particular in the areas of construction, entrepreneurship and lifeskills in the context of the One Stop Youth Resource Centre by bringing in a youth perspective.
• Develop guidelines for local trainers on how to best approach youth, implement practical exercises for training of youth in construction and lifeskills.
• Support the design and implementation of Training of Trainers courses and provide technical assistance to local trainers.
• Support the establishment of a youth unit and a youth advisory body at the local government and build their capacity. Support the identification, design and implementation of capacity building measures on youth employment programming and implementation for federal government institutions.
• Assist the UN-Habitat Somalia Programme in additional resource mobilization and development of a second programme phase.

COMPETENCIES:
Demonstrate integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards. Promote the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN-Habitat. Display cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

EDUCATION:
An advanced university degree in youth development work or related field. A first level university degree in combination with relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

WORK EXPERIENCE:
A minimum of five years of experience in training and working with youth. Proven experience in youth projects. Experience in post-conflict environments is desirable.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Proficiency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of Somali language is an advantage.

APPLICATIONS:

Applications should include:
• Cover memo (maximum 1 page)
• Summary CV (maximum 2 pages), indicating the following information:
1. Educational Background (incl. dates)
2. Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)
3. Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)
4. Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments
5. Expectations regarding remuneration

All applications should be submitted to:
UN-HABITAT Somalia
P.O. Box 30030, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Email: un-habitat.som@unhabitat.org
Deadline for applications: 12 July 2015

UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact:recruitment@unon.org