The Graca Machel Trust, Women Creating Wealth (WCW) Program is looking for a Research Consultant (remote based): Apply!!

Title: Research Consultant-Youth employment, Job creation and economic trends 

Project: Women Creating Wealth – Intergenerational (WCW-I) Edition  

Location: Remote 

Duration: 4 months 

1.0 Programme Information  

The Graça Machel Trust (GMT) was established in 2010 and is a registered non-profit Public Benefit Organisation based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its mission is to amplify women’s movements, influence governance, promote women’s contributions and leadership in Africa’s economic, social, and political development, and advocate for protecting children’s rights and dignity. As a Pan-African institution, the Trust has a presence in 16 countries across the African continent through its Women’s Networks and Strategic Partnerships. 

The Women Creating Wealth program is a leading entrepreneurship initiative to empower and inspire women entrepreneurs. It focuses on enhancing their mindset, confidence, and skills to overcome challenges and elevate their businesses from income generators to wealth creators. The program integrates GMT’s women’s rights and empowerment processes to bolster businesswomen’s confidence, enabling them to lead, engage, influence, and create opportunities in specific sectors while addressing structural barriers. While capacity-building programs enhance entrepreneurs’ knowledge and resilience for managing growth, GMT’s network-building and advocacy efforts identify and address challenges beyond individual control, requiring a collective response to create a more favourable environment for women entrepreneurs. 

Our focus on women entrepreneurs is based on research that indicates that empowering women with more capital accelerates inclusive growth and contributes to achieving at least five Sustainable Development Goals (1-2-3-5-8). 

WCW has already made an impact with 500 alumni entrepreneurs in the Southern Africa region, including South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania. Currently, the accelerator program is being offered to over 1000 entrepreneurs across seven (7) countries, namely South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Senegal. The goal for the next five years is to reach 10,000 businesswomen across Africa, inspire and equip them with skills, tools, and networks to scale their businesses, and create $1 Billion in value and 200,000 jobs. 

Overall, the program seeks to achieve the following objectives: 

1. Build leadership and entrepreneurship skills for women entrepreneurs.
2. Ensure access to finance and markets for 3,500 women entrepreneurs.
3. Provide work opportunities for 52,500 youth linked with these women entrepreneurs.
4. Foster a thriving business environment for women entrepreneurs.

1.1 Purpose and Strategic Outcomes 

The Women Creating Wealth – Intergenerational Edition (WCW-I) is focused on empowering women entrepreneurs by fostering youth employment within their businesses. As part of this initiative, we aim to build a case that demonstrates the business and social impact of employing youth. This research will also provide essential insights to sensitize participating women entrepreneurs on the importance and benefits of youth employment. 

Through this consultancy, GMT and its partners aim to achieve the following strategic outcomes: 

1. Development of a strategy to incentivize participating women entrepreneurs to recruit unemployed youth.  
2. Conduct research to build a case that proves the business and social impact of employing youth and sensitize participating women entrepreneurs on the same.   
3. Map the youth employment ecosystem in each targeted country.   
4. Conduct outreach to identify and formalize partnerships with pipeline partners (e.g., TVETS, youth focused nonprofits).  
5. Facilitate strategic partnerships between participating women entrepreneurs and pipeline partners.  
6. Workshops and meetings to facilitate strategic youth partnerships  

2.0 Roles and Responsibilities 

The research consultant will be responsible for conducting in-depth research to: 

1. Build a compelling case that illustrates the business and social impact of youth employment. 
2. Analyze youth employment trends within the participating countries, including challenges and opportunities. 
3. Support the Youth Advisory Group (YAG) in conducting country-specific research on youth employment. 
4. Provide actionable recommendations to entrepreneurs on how to integrate and benefit from youth employment. 

2.1 Scope of Work 

The consultant will: 

1. Literature Review: Conduct a comprehensive review of existing literature on youth employment and its economic and social impacts. 
2. Data Collection: Gather relevant data on youth employment trends, challenges, and opportunities within the countries participating in the WCW-I project. 
3. Case Studies: Develop case studies that highlight successful youth employment strategies in similar business environments. 
4. Collaboration with YAG: Work closely with the YAG to guide and support their research efforts on youth employment within their respective countries. 
5. Analysis and Reporting: Analyze the data collected and prepare a detailed report with findings and recommendations. 
6. Presentation: Present the findings to the WCW-I team, participating entrepreneurs, and stakeholders. 

3.0 Deliverables 

• Research Report: A comprehensive report detailing the findings, analysis, and recommendations. 
• Case Studies: Documented case studies on youth employment strategies. 
• Presentation: A presentation of key findings and recommendations. 
• Support Documents: Guidelines and tools to help YAG conduct country-specific research. 

4.0 Qualifications and Experience 

• A master’s degree or higher in Economics, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field. 
• At least 5 years of experience in conducting research on youth employment and economic trends. 
• Strong understanding of the socio-economic factors affecting youth employment in developing countries. 
• Proven ability to analyze data and present findings in a clear, concise manner. 
• Experience working with youth groups, particularly in an advisory or research capacity, is an asset. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

5.0 Application Process 

Interested candidates should submit the following: 

• A detailed CV outlining relevant experience. 
• A cover letter explaining your experience and skills matches the TOR requirements. 
• Samples of previous work related to youth employment or economic research. 
• Contact details of at least two referees. 

Deadline for Application: 20  September 2024 

APPLY HERE

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