The European Union is expanding its support to young Gambians by enabling the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) to venture into new, well-needed activities, and extending its implementation period to November 2022.
According to the EU Mission in The Gambia, additional support will help more young entrepreneurs and small businesses to create and sustain jobs and income in view of post-crisis recovery.
Launched in early 2017, the Youth Empowerment Project, in partnership with more than 40 national implementing partners has demonstrated positive results, with 1,800 jobs created or sustained, 2,400 youths supported through technical and vocational training and 2,900 youths through entrepreneurship support, including 120 returnees.
The EU Mission said on Monday that over 700 small businesses have been supported to improve competitiveness through enhanced packaging, food safety and quality, innovation and product development, increasing production capacity, and business linkages and more than 300 companies have benefited from access to finance.
“It will support a number of young entrepreneurs in critical sectors such as transport and logistics and address other supply chain disruptions by facilitating market linkages. To facilitate access to finance for fast growing companies, the project will provide co-investment grants in collaboration with the Gambia Angel Investors Network (GAIN). It will also facilitate support from the Gambian diaspora,“ the EU said.
Further support will be extended through technical and vocational training to boost the skills and employability of young Gambians while enhancing the institutional capacity of training providers.
This includes support to operationalizing a new training centre in Ndemban, West Coast Region in collaboration with Gambian skills providers.
“The European Union remains strongly committed to supporting young Gambians by boosting their employment opportunities and income prospects, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact”, said EU Ambassador to The Gambia, Attila Lajos.
The Youth Empowerment Project is implemented by the International Trade Centre as part of the Tekki Fii Programme, a flagship initiative of the Government of The Gambia, with the aim of increasing job opportunities and income prospects for young Gambians.
YEP takes a market-driven approach and enhances employability and self-employment opportunities. The project is funded by the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.