On the International Day of Education, we recognise the transformative power of education in breaking the cycle of poverty, achieving gender equality and instilling shared humanity as an agent of peace. 

The staggering UNESCO statistics of 250 million children and youth out of school, along with 763 million adults facing illiteracy, underscore the urgent need for collective action. We’re pleased to be implementing initiatives that aim to provide sustainable solutions, empowering individuals with knowledge and skills, while creating a future where education is not a privilege but a universal right.

• In Burkina Faso, we’re implementing the “IWILI d’appui au dispositif national de formation professionnelle” programme that aims to improve the employability of young people and their access to decent jobs and income. Initiatives include improving the framework conditions of the TVET sector, developing dual apprenticeships and training mechanisms adapted to the agro-sylvopastoral sector, and strengthening the TVET value chain. We are presently working on designing the project document for the next 4 years in close cooperation with all parties. 
• In Albania, we’re implementing, along with Internationaler Bund and our Health & Social Development colleagues, the EU-funded EU4SI project that aims to support and improve the social and economic inclusion of vulnerable people. The project is covering a large broadband of issues, including the improvement of social protection and the development of skills and employability. Most recently, the team has been working with the Albanian institutions on the EU Youth Guarantee, an instrument that may ensure every young person has an equal access to the labour market. 

Find out more about how GOPA’s Education and Employment Promotion Team is empowering people with skills: Education and Employment Promotion | GOPA