Zantchito Skills for Jobs Program

The Employers Consultative Association of Malawi ECAM in partnership with the Consortium of (Confederation of Danish Industry-DI, Danish Trade Union Development Agency-DTDA, and Malawi Congress of Trade Unions-MCTU) is implementing an EU Zantchito Skills and Employment Project in Malawi. The project implementation period is from 1st March 2023 to 31st December 2026.

This action will improve young people’s access to decent jobs by improving the quality of vocational training (TVET) in the renewable solar industry. The focus will be to create more green skilled hands for both formal and informal (small) companies and to enable workers professionally install, repair and maintain solar cell installations – also for poor rural areas.

It is against this background that MCTU and ECAM have entered into a partnership with DTDA and DI to contribute to creating decent jobs and employability by customising existing TEVET training provision and matching vocational, entrepreneurial and green skills with needs from 1) solar energy companies and 2) the informal economy in the labour market.

Overall Objective:

Trade unions and employers in Malawi contribute to more employable young people (particularly women) with vocational skills in renewable solar energy in Malawi;

Outcome 1:Improved demand-driven TVET system with social partners promoting innovative TVET training that accommodates current and future skills needed in the renewable solar energy sector;

Outcome 2:Energy companies and workers’ unions contribute to an innovative learning environment with flexible work-based learning for apprentices and teachers, and

Outcome 3:Skilled young people, workers and students (primarily women and girls) are empowered with tailor-made skills in demand by solar plant industries, small businesses and households.

Target groups and final beneficiaries

The clearly defined target groups are 800 young people and workers; 370 trade union leaders/shop stewards from unions (solar energy sector and informal economy); 100 managers and representatives from enterprises in the energy sector, and 120 decision makers in TEVETA and other public/private stakeholders (5 technical colleges, MOL and MoE (TEVET department), TEVET Authority and committees etc.)