UNDP Jobs - 60368- Training Officer- National Youth Employment Progra

Training Officer- National Youth Employment Programme (Govt of Samoa/ One UN) - (Open to Samoan Nationals Only)

Location :

Apia, SAMOA

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

30-Oct-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SB-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

Initial one year

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The Government of Samoa is committed to tackling youth unemployment. The Division for Youth at the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development has the mandate to advocate and establish programmes designed to enable the spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, social and economic development of Samoan youth, thereby empowering them to achieve a better quality of life for themselves, their families, their communities and the nation.

The United Nations in Samoa is responding to the request by the Government of Samoa to assist in its ongoing efforts to address youth unemployment. A programme of coordinated activities has been designed with the specific objective of assisting youth to develop the knowledge and skills needed to enter the labour market and secure decent work opportunities in either waged employment or in small business development. The programme will actively promote gender equality and will be inclusive of youth who are marginalized from mainstream economic and social life.

The Division for Youth at the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (DFY – MWCSD) will have responsibility for overall management of the full programme. Technical support to the programme activities will be delivered through a ‘One UN’ approach, which will combine the different strengths and technical capacities of five UN agencies in Samoa, thereby maximizing the positive impact for employment-seeking youth. Partnering UN agencies will include UNDP, ILO, FAO, UNESCO and UNV.

The programme is aligned with the National Youth Policy, and will be implemented in close cooperation with the ongoing activities to develop Samoa’s National Action Plan on Youth Employment.

Samoa National Youth Council:

The Samoa National Youth Council is a membership-based youth organisation, established in 2011 and registered as an NGO. As at June 2015, SNYC had a membership of 205 Village Youth Representatives. The vision of the SNYC is to enhance youth development for the social, economic and political stability of Samoa. The mission of the SNYC is to facilitate access by youth to a representative body and be a catalyst for youth to address public issues affecting young people, to advocate on youth issues and to build the capacity of youth to participate in policy dialogue and democratic processes at the national level.

The DFY – MWCSD is supporting the capacity building of SNYC to be a major implementing partner within the joint Government / One UN national Youth Employment Programme (‘the national YEP’). To this effect, a Training Officer will be recruited to provide additional human resource capacity to enable SNYC to fulfill its responsibilities under Outputs 1, 2 and 3 of the national YEP.

The Training Officer will be located within the SNYC office, and will be provided with all the equipment and materials necessary to perform their responsibilities. The Training Officer will report to the SNYC Coordinator. The SNYC Coordinator will in turn report on progress by SNYC to the Programme Manager of the Programme Management Unit, which will be located at the DFY – MWCSD.

Technical and capacity-building support for the Training Officer, if required, will be facilitated through the national YEP in close communication and collaboration with the Programme Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities

Lead the processes for assessing youth training needs, and then planning, organizing and coordinating the implementation of training programmes for youth under Output 1 of the joint Government / One UN youth employment programme (‘the national YEP’). Under Output 1 SNYC will create and manage a technologically enabled ‘Youth Employment Network’ that provides youth with information and employment services that facilitates their successful entry to the labour market;
In close collaboration with the SNYC Members Services Executive, be an additional technical resource person on the delivery of trainings for youth, within an SNYC programme that will build the capacity of youth, empower them to be agents for positive change and increase their general employability;
Ensure all training needs assessments, plans and activities are conducted in full consultation with youth groups and youth representatives, and that the delivery of training promotes gender equality, equal access by rural youth and the inclusion of marginalized or disadvantaged youth;
Manage contracts and work assignments of external consultants / technical assistants (including NGOs, UN agencies, private sector organisations) recruited to support SNYC in the delivery of trainings for youth relating to Output 2 and 3 of the national YEP;
In close collaboration with the SNYC Members Services Executive, prepare narrative training reports to include relevant quantitative data, receipt acquittal and financial expenditure statements, for submission within agreed deadlines to the SNYC Coordinator;
Ensure that youth training activities are properly monitored, to include follow-up activities that accurately capture post-training results and the impact of training on youth;
Assist and support the SNYC Members Services Executive to create and manage a training database of SNYC youth. The database will record the details of youth who have completed training courses organised by SNYC and / or partners in the national YEP. The database will become a tool to monitor courses completed and courses still to be taken by youth, and will also provide SNYC with an up-to-date status of youth transition into the labour market;
Ensure youth training M&E activities are properly recorded and reported so that best practices can be scaled-up, lessons learned and institutional knowledge retained;
Establish and manage partnerships between SNYC and youth training providers in Samoa, including the Samoa Qualifications Authority. These partnerships will help to identify gaps in the training needs of youth, and will facilitate the design and delivery of new, formally accredited training courses specific to youth needs and labour market demand;
Assist in proposal writing / resource mobilisation for SNYC youth training activities;
Participate in the meetings of SNYC and other youth-focused organizations and take responsibility for follow-up actions as directed by the SNYC Coordinator.

Competencies

Excellent interpersonal and team working skills, including the ability to engage with and motivate youth from different socio-economic backgrounds;
Self-motivation and the ability to multi-task and work independently while maintaining high standards of quality and service delivery;
Ability to function effectively and maintain a positive spirit despite workload pressure and tight timelines;
Commitment to uphold the values and integrity of the Government of Samoa, the SNYC and the United Nations in Samoa;
The ability to deliver youth-focused trainings that are practically orientated and incorporate training methodologies that ensures retention and application of learning by the youth;
A focus on the quality of training inputs, and a results-based approach to sustainable post-training outcomes for youth;
Good analytical and critical thinking skills with the confidence to be innovative in the solution of problems and challenges;
Good writing and reporting skills in both English and Samoan language;
A willingness to commit time and energy to learning new skills in youth training methodologies, through the use of toolkits and guidelines provided by the programme’s technical partners.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

A minimum qualification of a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Community Development or in any other relevant Social Science discipline.

Experience:

A minimum of two years of relevant working experience with youth training programmes, with associated responsibilities in training programme administration and management support;
Proficient computer-based skills, including Internet, email and Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Language:

Fluency in Samoan and English both written and verbal.

Note:

Women candidates are encouraged to apply.