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Education | UNICEF South Africa
The state of youth in South Africa (SA) remains a ticking timebomb as learning to earning for many is often a negative experience. There are key structural challenges that are hampering young peoples development. This is most evidenced by the exclusion of young South Africans from the labour market. School-to-work transition and employability are the main challenges for young people, coupled with the quality and relevance of the skills attained through the education system.
The unemployment rate amongst youth is higher than the national average, young people are recorded as discouraged jobseekers, and therere multiple barriers to entrepreneurial activity amongst the youth. Within the 13 million school children in SA, school completion is a challenge with 48% of learners dropping out of school before matric completion. Around 15% of learners drop out in Grade 10 and 24% in Grade 11. Additionally, 30% of the youth aged 15-24 are not in education, employment, and training (NEET). SA also has a burden of graduate unemployment, with a staggering 32% of graduates (aged 15 to 24) unemployed.
SA is rich in policies yet faces hurdles in their implementation. Whilst there are numerous organizations providing programmes and initiatives aiming to provide learning to earning opportunities and adaptive pathway for the young people, alignment with the national economic development plan, future skills needs, business/labour market demands, and harmonization of approaches across the supporting organizations are weak. There is no common understanding of the definitions of each skill being taught or ways to monitor the progress and measure the actual impact overall. While transferable skills or life skills are deemed the most important aspect of being employable, there is no clear understanding of what these competencies/skills/knowledge/behaviours really are.
Additionally, the curriculum needs to address the current and future needs of the changing world, largely the 21stcentury skills.
To respond to the key challenge addressed above, the Department of Education (DBE) is currently developing the South African National 21st Century Core Competency Skills Framework a framework to be used from early childhood throughout all levels of education. The Framework is encouraged to be used by any formal, informal, and non-formal skills development interventions, including those initiated by other departments and the private sector. The effort is supplemented by the ongoing review of the national curriculum and assessment systems.
Furthermore, the Presidential Youth Employment Initiate (PYEI) was launched in 2020 to address youth unemployment challenge guiding youth towards demand-led skilling, enabling the local ecosystem and revitalising the national youth service.
Acknowledging the cruciality of DBEs efforts, UNICEF has confirmed its technical and financial support to DBE in developing such a framework. On top, assist in developing/piloting the skills measurement tool, leveraging UNICEFs Life Skills & Citizenship Education (LSCE) Framework and the Global Skills Framework. UNICEF SA is now seeking to find the needed managerial assistance from a highly experienced professional to provide quality support to the DBE, especially related to managing and implementing timely technical deliverables, strategic communication (internal and external), private sector engagement and buy-in, and alignment with PYEI.
How can you make a difference?
- The consultant will develop the roadmap and project manage the development of the South African Core Competency Framework, overseeing associated interventions and coordination for the framework development for sustainability.
- The consultant will provide overall technical and managerial guidance to the DBE/NECT for developing the core competency skills framework, its measurement tool, and the pilot in South Africa. While the framework development process requires attentional toward various aspects, including change management, strategic communication, linkages to curriculum and assessment strengthening projects, the consultant is expected to oversee adequate approaches, steps, and progress against each aspect.
- The support is expected to reflect the existing political relationships among the key stakeholders.
- Furthermore, the consultant is expected to assist in the coordination and communication between the PYEI initiative.
- Develop Framework Development Roadmap
- Develop Strategic Communication Strategy and Change Management Strategy
- Facilitate coordination with business partners and submit coordination notes at regular intervals
- Monitor overall processes and submit progress notes with monthly technical assistance memo at regular intervals
- Under the overall responsibility of the UNICEF Representative, the technical experts from the consult will directly report to Chief Education at UNICEF South Africa
- An advanced university degree (Masters or higher) in Education
- A minimum of 10 years relevant professional experience
- Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset
- Experience in education reform planning & management;
- Experience in working with governments;
- Proven experience working with private sector and mobilizing partnerships with the labor market;
- Experience in managing large-scale education sector programmes/projects;
- Experience in institutional and organisational capacity development;
- Previous experience leading a similar education reform process in the Africa/Latin America region is an asset; and
- Previous experience working with the UNICEF/UN will be considered an asset.
- Experience in curriculum design and development/assessment
- Proven experience in developing sectoral strategies and implementation plans
- Experience in institutional and organisational capacity development
- Experience in education sector reform
- Competitive financial proposal
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
UNICEF is here to serve the worlds most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered staff members under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEFs policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.
