In Africa, many young people face significant barriers to education, employment, and economic opportunities. Despite having potential and ambition, youth often lack practical skills, mentorship, and exposure to real-world opportunities, which limits their ability to secure jobs, start businesses, or take leadership roles in their communities. The Skill4change Project was created to address this gap by equipping youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to thrive in today’s competitive environment.
Skill4change Project is AYA Africa’s flagship initiative dedicated to equipping young people with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to thrive in today’s fast-changing world. Our mission is to bridge the gap between education and opportunity by providing practical training, mentorship, and access to real-world experiences that prepare youth for employment, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Skill4Change is a comprehensive youth empowerment initiative combining skills training, mentorship, and youth-led projects. The program offers:
Skills Training: Digital skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, leadership, and life skills.
Personal Development: Workshops, coaching, and mentorship programs that enhance confidence, critical thinking, and goal-setting.
Career & Economic Opportunities: Connections to internships, jobs, freelance platforms, and entrepreneurial support.
Youth-Led Community Projects: Participants design and implement initiatives addressing local challenges, fostering social impact and leadership growth
The Skill4change Project aims to:
Equip young people with market-relevant technical and soft skills.
Build leadership, problem-solving, and personal development capacities.
Connect youth to career, entrepreneurial, and economic opportunities.
Support youth-led community initiatives that create social impact.
Foster a network of empowered young leaders to drive sustainable change.
Young people aged 16–35, especially those with limited access to quality skills training or employment opportunities.
Youth interested in entrepreneurship, leadership, or community development.
Schools, community youth clubs, and other youth-focused institutions partnering in project implementation.
The Skill4change Project is implemented over 12 months per cycle, with continuous engagement through training, mentorship, and community projects. Multiple cycles will run to progressively scale impact to thousands of youth.
Skills acquired, mentorship engagement, and employment/entrepreneurial outcomes.
Progress of youth-led initiatives, milestones achieved, and community feedback.
Evaluation of social and economic outcomes, including number of youth employed, businesses started, or community challenges addressed.
Regular progress reports and feedback loops to refine programming and maximize effectiveness.
