Expression of Interest for Capacity Development for Public Employment Service Centre (Pesc) Staff and Soft Skills Training for Jobseekers Location: Kigali Deadline: Wednesday, 30/04/2025 23:59 Expression of Interest (EOI) Capacity Development for Public Employment Service Centre (PESC) Staff and Soft Skills Training for Jobseekers. Reference Number: 83486954 Publication date: 16.04.2025 General information The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The GIZ Office in Kigali covers GIZs portfolio in Rwanda and Burundi. GIZ Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and other commissioning authorities in the following priority areas: Sustainable Economic Development; Good Governance; Climate, Energy and Sustainable Urban Development; Digitalization and Digital Economy; and regional projects in the Great Lakes Region. Skills Development for Economic Transformation (SD4T) Rwandas economic growth has been remarkable, annual growth rates averaged at eight per cent over the past two decades. Yet, according to the 2024 annual report of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) unemployment (14.9%) and underemployment (54.2%) remain high. The majority of the population works in the agriculture sector, where incomes are low. Moreover, the number of young people entering the labour market is increasing. A large proportion of local companies are unregistered micro-enterprises which are not very competitive and cannot harness the long-term potential for growth. Most of them are only creating a handful of jobs at present. Domestic value creation, specifically in the light industrial sector is low and meets international standards only to a limited extent. At the same time, the professional skills of many job seekers do not match the requirements of the labour market. With strategies like the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) and the Made in Rwanda Policy, the Government of Rwanda is promoting skills development, the creation of off-farm jobs and domestic value creation. To contribute to the Rwandan Governments strategy, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commissioned GIZ to implement the programme Skills development for economic transformation (SD4T) from 2023 to 2026, as part of the priority area Sustainable Economic Development of the Rwandan-German Development Cooperation. The programme is co-funded by the European Union (EU). The programmes main political partners are the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) and the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC). As a specific focus, SD4T supports the Government of Rwanda in stepping up its efforts for local inclusion and graduation of refugees out of humanitarian aid, which is reflected in the Joint Strategy on Economic Inclusion of Refugees and Host Communities in Rwanda (2021-2024) by MINEMA and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The programme aims to create jobs and strengthen the competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives in the light manufacturing industry (e.g. furniture production, metal processing etc.) according to the principles of inclusivity, productivity and environmental sustainability. This will be achieved by following an integrated approach to employment promotion, consisting of 1) the promotion of technical and vocational education and training to enhance the quality of labour supply, 2) private sector development to raise labour demand, and 3) economic policy advice to improve the matching of labour supply and demand. A specific focus is placed on the economic empowerment of women, refugees, and host communities. The overarching objective of the Economic Transformation pillar within the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) 2024 2029 is to: Advance the Vision 2050 pillars of Competitiveness and Integration, Agriculture for Wealth Creation as well as Urbanization and Agglomeration. Indicators of the pillar include achieving at least 10% annual average GDP growth in the industry sector and creating 1.25 million productive and decent jobs Context The Public Employment Service Centres (PESCs) play a key role in supporting jobseekers, offering services such as job matching, career guidance, and employment promotion. However, gaps remain in the capacity of PESC staff to offer high quality, individualized employment services, and jobseekers often lack the soft skills essential to thrive in todays workplace. To address these gaps, the GIZ-SD4T programme will implement this joint intervention in close collaboration with MIFOTRAs Chief Skills Office (CSO) to strengthen the capacity of PESC staff and improve the employability of jobseekers through targeted soft skills training. The ability of Public Employment Service Centres to support jobseekers effectively depends on the knowledge, tools, and approaches available to staff. While technical knowledge may exist, there is a need to enhance capacity in delivering comprehensive career guidance services, matching job profiles to labour market needs, and collaborating closely with educational institutions (including TVET schools and IPRCs) and the private sector. This intervention will therefore, address both the supply side (jobseekers) and the service delivery side (PESC staff), providing practical and context-relevant training to strengthen Rwandas public employment service system and increase the employability of youth. Objective of this assignment: To achieve the objectives below, the GIZ-SD4T programme is hiring a consultant with expertise in employment promotion, career guidance, and capacity development to: Enhance the capacity of PESC staff and career guidance staff from educational institutions (including TVET schools and IPRCs) to deliver more effective career guidance and employment services This is aimed towards strengthening the ability of staff to offer relevant, individualized, and market-oriented support to jobseekers. The intervention will also include a rapid needs assessment to identify current gaps and inform a tailored training approach that builds practical skills, enhances understanding of labour market dynamics, and improves overall service quality. Improve service delivery in PESCs by equipping the staff and management to effectively collaborate with private sector stakeholders Recognizing the importance of private sector engagement in employment promotion, the intervention will enable PESC staff to enhance their ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with employers and training providers. This will lead towards more responsive and demand driven services, improve job matching efforts, and help align career guidance with real labour market needs. Improve jobseekers employability by equipping them with essential soft skills required by employers in the labour market The intervention will also include soft skills training for jobseekers, focusing on developing competencies that are consistently highlighted by employers as critical for success in the workplace. These include effective communication, teamwork, time management, and CV development skills that can significantly improve jobseekers readiness and confidence when entering or re-entering the labour market. Duration of the assignment: GIZ shall hire the contractor for the anticipated contract term, from 29.05.2025 to 15.09.2025. Tasks to be completed by the consultant: The consultant shall provide the following services which comprise of two key components: Capacity Building for PESC Staff and Career Guidance staff Objective: Strengthen the ability of PESC staff and career guidance staff from different educational institutions (including TVET schools and IPRCs) to deliver individualized and market-relevant employment services. Target Group: Up to 20 participants in Kigali and 12 participants from Huye and Musanze (PESC staff, CSO staff and career guidance staff from different educational institutions (including TVET schools and IPRCs) Locations: Kigali, Huye, and Musanze. Duration & Format: 2-day in-person training per district. Key Responsibilities: Conduct a rapid needs assessment (through questionnaires and or virtual meetings) to identify current service delivery gaps, capacity needs, and priority topics. Design and deliver interactive training sessions tailored to the identified needs. Possible focus areas may include: Practical career guidance methodologies and tools Job profiling and matching techniques Engagement with employers and institutions Delivering individualized support to jobseekers Soft Skills Training for Jobseekers Objective: Improve the employability of jobseekers by equipping them with foundational soft skills matching employers needs. Target Group: 210 jobseekers (70 per district), mobilized by the public employment service centres Locations: Public employment service centres premises in Kigali, Huye, and Musanze. Duration & Format: In each of the three locations (Kigali, Huye, and Musanze), the consultant will facilitate soft skills training for 70 jobseekers divided into two separate cohorts of 35 jobseekers each Each group will participate in a 3-day, in-person training session, designed to be interactive, participatory, and tailored to the local context and needs of the participants. Key Responsibilities: Prepare an engaging, participatory training programme that responds to the needs of young jobseekers entering the labour market. Deliver training sessions focusing on core soft skills such as: CV and cover letter writing Communica Tender Link : https://www.jobinrwanda.com/job/expression-interest-eoi-capacity-development-public-employment-service-centre-pesc-staff-and
