Sao Tome and Principe Youth Employment Opportunities Project

pipeline

The project aims to create opportunities for more and better jobs for youth in São Tome and Principe by tackling the specific barriers that limit entry into productive employment. Target beneficiaries will be youth aged 16 to 35, with a focus on those who are unemployed, inactive, or engaged in low-productivity activities, as well as those vulnerable to climate change. Special attention will be given to addressing the differentiated barriers faced by young women. The project will be structured across three components. The first component seeks to empower youth to build their own sustainable businesses that provide earnings and jobs. It will offer two complementary tracks: a “livelihood track” to support vulnerable youth to launch and operate their own small businesses, and a “productivity track” to support youth-led enterprises with growth potential to obtain legal registration, strengthen their management practices, and scale up their activities. The second component seeks to equip youth with the competencies and support needed to access good-quality wage jobs in sectors with market demand or growth potential. It will finance professional training aligned with private sector needs, intermediation services with employers, scholarships for students from low-income backgrounds, and pilots to explore job avenues in the digital economy and through labor mobility. Finally, the third component seeks to strengthen government capacity to deliver effective employment programs responsive to market demand, including by establishing a Labor Market Information System. These coordinated interventions will be designed to reduce informality, promote economic inclusion, and lay the foundation for a more productive and organized workforce in São Tome and Principe.