Background & Purpose of Assignment
USAID Punjab Youth Workforce Development (PYWD) Project
USAID funded Punjab Youth Workforce Development (PYWD) project is investing in the underprivileged youth, by providing them with skills, entrepreneurship and linking skilled youth with employers to meet the needs of the industry as well economic benefits of youth and their families. This three-year project is being implemented Louis Berger Group in collaboration with relevant public sector organizations and local partners. The project is helping to enhance the socially constructive attitudes among the youth and enable employment opportunities for 10,000 youth, including 35 percent women in four Southern Punjab Districts: Bahawalpur, Lodhran, Multan, and Muzaffargarh.
The USAID-PYWD project, has proposed to assess industrial demand for workforce that is matched by the training institutes in terms of course offerings, pedagogy, curriculum and soft skills development. The PYWD project has identified several promising sectors where there is potential of job placement of skills or semi-skilled workforce. The project’s initial analysis revealed that Textile sector is among those aiming to socio-economic growth through the development of HR, enabling workforce to engage in productive employment.
The purpose of this study is to identify the existing and future demand for skilled labor (blue-collar workers) by employers in the textile sector and sub-sectors and identify skill gaps to meet the specific demands at workplace within textile sectors and inform TVET design and delivery (in four districts of south Punjab i.e. Multan, Muzaffargarh, Lodhran and Bahawalpur) to meet the skilled workforce demands within textile sector.
The study will use a demand and supply lens to understand the skills demanded by the textiles sector that are not catered to by the TVET providers. It may also be the case that while TVET providers are focusing on the demanded skills, the relevance of their curriculum, equipment and trainers maybe of insufficient quality to adequately cater to the demands of the industry.
Hence the study will also consider curricula content and learning outcomes of TVET providers to determine whether these are synchronized to the needs of the labor market. This will require the verification of service capabilities, equipment, facilities, human capacities, as well as the number of students and graduates in relevant courses.
The study will adopt a qualitative methodology utilizing purposive sampling within the population groups of interest including local textile industry employers, TVET providers (private and public – management, teachers, students), skills development councils, employer associations, and other development projects/organizations working in the thematic area. Sample size will be determined in collaboration with project staff.
Description of Assignment
The consultant will closely work with project team to identify the existing and future demand for skilled labor (blue-collar workers) by employers in the textile sector and sub-sectors and identify skill gaps to meet the specific demands at workplace within textile sectors and inform TVET design and delivery (in four districts of south Punjab i.e. Multan, Muzaffargarh, Lodhran and Bahawalpur) to meet the skilled workforce demands within textile sector.
Specifically, the Consultant shall:
- Review the existing data related to textile sector employers operating in four target districts of south Punjab and propose methodology to study pattern and categories of blue-collar jobs in each sub-sector of textile sector.
- Design instruments to collect primary data on required competencies and skillset for each job category and work closely with the project team to chalk out field research plan, and collect, analyse and interpret primary data.
- Use qualitative methods to probe the source of labour supply for textile sector market and probe the possibilities of induction of skilled youth, trained by TVET sector, into textile sector labour market.
- Prepare presentation & draft report based primary data and share the report for technical inputs from stakeholders.
- Identify potential target groups and experts to triangulate/validate the findings of industrial mapping draft, and incorporate all inputs and comments from the expert, stakeholders, project team and donor.
- Cross-check the demand side information with TVET qualification framework and identify gaps from supply side limitation (if any) i.e. availability of TVET providers in those areas with required curriculum, theoretical and practical training needs such as laboratories or equipment etc.)
- Prepare comprehensive narrative report on Industrial Mapping with concrete evidence on demands or prospects for each type of blue-collar jobs in each sub-sector within textile sector with recommendation for TVET providers to refine curricula in order to meet the specific needs of textile sector employer, and way forward for placement of trained youth in textile sector jobs.
EXPECTED OUTCOME:
Identify current/future demand for each type of blue-collar job and associated competencies needed by textile sector employer and inform TVET provider to adjust Textile Sector related training curricula according to workplace needs and ultimately mainstream skilled youth in textile sector jobs.
DELIVERABLES/OUTPUTS:
The deliverables / outputs of this assignment are:
- An inception report including sections on on scope, proposed methodology of the study, key data sources and field research plan.
- Draft report and presentation of industrial mapping and raw data.
- Final Industrial Mapping Report
QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE OF THE CONSULTANT
- Advanced university degree in relevant area i.e. Research, Textile sector or social science
- At least five (5) years of experience in designing similar studies, preferably
- Extensive experience in field research, qualitative data collection, analysis, and interpretation
- Knowledge of textile sector industries operating in south Punjab.