Skills Lead - Skills for Prosperity (S4P) at Palladium Group

Full Time Jobs

Abuja

Posted 3 years ago

Background

Global Prosperity Fund’s ‘Skills for Prosperity’ is a two-year FCDO programme, which seeks to improve the cost-effectiveness, access, quality, relevance and equity of skills through innovative approaches in 9 Middle-Income Countries around the world, including Nigeria. In Nigeria, the Skills for Prosperity (S4P) country programme will work in three targeted states to:

Improve access to quality Higher-Education and TVET for youth and young women, with a focus on improving access to and the quality of apprenticeships, and supporting training institutions to deliver demand-driven, competency-based training
Strengthen education-to-employment linkages
Build the capacity of training institutions to improve outcomes for vulnerable women and people with disabilities

Apprenticeships, training, and capacity building interventions will focus on identified high growth sectors of the economy (Agriculture/Agribusiness/agro-allied industries; Creative and Entertainment, and Information and Communications Technology sectors).

S4P aims to directly benefit youth, vulnerable women and People with Disabilities (PwD) in targeted states of Kaduna in the north, Benue in the central belt, and Lagos in the south. It will also establish learning and peer sharing mechanisms across other states, including Kano, Enugu and Edo.

Terms of Reference

Background S4P requires a Skills Lead with a relevant track record, and interest or experience in the private sector and skills training. The Skills Lead should have the drive to tackle new and complex challenges and work with us to learn, adapt and deliver sustainable benefits for Nigeria.

Responsibilities The Skills Lead will be responsible for delivering the following:

Manage the ‘Access and Quality’ components of the programme, responsible for designing and managing the development of accessible and quality industry-led apprenticeship programmes, supporting progression to further and higher education to bridge skills gaps and shortages
Oversee delivery of apprenticeship programmes for beneficiaries across the 2 targeted states in collaboration with organised private sector and public training providers
Identify sector gaps, emerging trends and lead demand assessment for best-fit traineeship and apprenticeship model in Nigeria, and appraise the institutional capacity of relevant stakeholders related to apprenticeship
Provide technical support to key stakeholders (private, public and non-governmental) to develop industry-led standards, learning materials and skills policies and frameworks
Work closely with the PSD Lead to attract and incentivise private sector investment in the development of online/distance/blended learning platforms as an on-demand service to training providers
Work closely with the GESI/Safeguarding Lead to ensure skills interventions are socially and gender inclusive
Monitoring and results framework to ensure performance monitoring, impact assessment and bring out lessons learnt
Institutionalise early warning signal mechanism and consequence management system – highlight red flags and deviations to relevant stakeholders with appropriate evidence, document closure of events
Document and share findings of MREL, incorporating feedback from stakeholders during primary and secondary discussions
Provide documentation and data collation support across programme’s work streams
Liaise with key government departments to create focused skill development initiatives
Drive stakeholder coordination and collaboration with Training Partners, SSCs, Assessment agencies and any other relevant TVET stakeholder from Nigeria and UK
Continuously provide feedback and learning from programme implementation

Level of effort Full-time

Reporting The Skills Lead will report directly to S4P Nigeria’s Team Leader

Implementation activities

Overall management of Output 1 activities and deliverables, providing accessible and quality industry-led apprenticeship programmes, within an effective, efficient and collaborative national apprenticeship and training system
Oversee the implementation of the pilot apprenticeships and traineeships, providing guidance and strategic direction to the State Leads, who will manage delivery on the ground, throughout implementation
Continue to develop enhanced technical and non-technical knowledge and practice training manuals and other pedagogical-resources in selected occupational areas
Support the identification, recruitment and training of new and existing technical teachers/industry trainers/assessors/verifiers/awarding bodies, building their capacity to deliver flexible competency-based training
Gather and collate data in alignment with country results framework and set targets
Support data analytics and verification for reporting to client and other stakeholders

Role requirements

Outstanding expertise in skills, with extensive experience in education, TVET and apprenticeships policy and systems
Knowledge and working experience of all levels of the skills ecosystem in Nigeria, including low-level (Technical Colleges), mid-level (Polytechnics), and high-level skills (Universities)
Demonstrable expertise in systems thinking, with a strong Market Development Approach (M4P) understanding
Extremely well-networked with national regulators, awarding bodies and other relevant actors in Nigeria’s skills ecosystem
Extensive experience in skills policy reform in Nigeria, and strong understanding of the local context
Experience working closely with private sector partners in Nigeria to deliver skills reform

Company Overview:

About Palladium – Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people’s lives.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion – Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good-practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at [email protected] and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.