Skills for Innovation, Resilience, and Aspirations (SIRA)

pipeline

SIRA (Skills for Innovation, Resilience, and Aspirations) is a regional initiative supporting youth in and out of school/training and those at risk of dropping out of secondary education across West and Central Africa. The SIRA MPA helps countries expand education and skills development opportunities for young women and men aged 10 to 24 years old, with an intentional focus on the higher barriers faced by each of them. Through a flexible, country-led approach, SIRA promotes both formal and informal pathways to more productive jobs, building resilience and reducing social fragility. SIRA is delivered through scalable country operations and a cross-country learning platform under a Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) structured around four pillars: SCHOOLS: Supports access to quality formal secondary education with integrated services like school health, nutrition, and GBV prevention, and a focus on STEM and vocational streams. SKILLS: Offers second-chance education and vocational training, focusing on foundational, digital, and life skills for out-of-school youth and supports micro-entrepreneurship, productive economic inclusion, as well as labor intermediations services. SOCIETIES: Promotes inclusion and addresses barriers to the uptake of skills, educational opportunities and labor market participation through community engagement and norm change to reduce dropouts. SYSTEMS: Enhances institutional capacity, interoperability of systems, and cross-sectoral coordination to deliver targeted, scalable, and sustainable programs, putting the private sector at the center of the skills ecosystem. In Guinea, the project aims to transform Guinea’s education and skills system through five integrated components and a target group of 10- to 19-year-olds. Component 1 focuses on expanding access to quality, labor-market-aligned secondary education. This includes improving school infrastructure, strengthening teacher training (with emphasis on digital and AI skills), enhancing school leadership, and building students’ socio-emotional, technical, and digital skills. Subcomponents involve constructing climate-smart secondary schools with STEM curricula, developing national teacher training standards and gender-inclusive practices, and investing in primary education to build strong foundational skills and reduce dropout rates. Component 2 aims to expand skills and opportunities for in- and out-of-school youth link to labor market needs in priority sectors. It offers alternative learning pathways, recognizes prior learning, and improves employability, with special support for young mothers through free childcare services. Subcomponents include partnerships with NGOs and private providers to deliver short, intensive training programs in literacy, numeracy, digital skills, climate awareness, entrepreneurship, and job readiness, as well as apprenticeships, recognition of informal skills, and intermediation services to connect graduates with employers. Component 3 seeks to increase demand for education and training, as well as labor force participation, by addressing social and cultural barriers. This involves engaging communities and religious leaders in campaigns to shift norms and providing safe spaces to encourage participation, especially among disadvantaged groups. Component 4 strengthens education and skills systems management by modernizing governance, advancing digital transformation, improving accountability, and fostering cross-sectoral collaboration while putting the private sector at the center of reforms and service delivery. Subcomponents include better teacher management, early warning systems using AI, among others. Component 5 provides technical assistance, knowledge, and project monitoring to support adaptive implementation, safeguard compliance, and coordinate with development partners, ensuring maximum impact and accelerated youth skills development. Overall, the operation seeks to create an inclusive, market-relevant, and resilient education and skills system in Guinea, with strong collaboration across sectors and stakeholders.