Technical Policy Advisor for Employment Promotion

Reports to: Programme Component Manager

Duration: Until 31 May 2026

BACKGROUND

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) supports the South African Government in achieving its objectives for inclusive and sustainable economic development. The Cluster “TVET and Employment Promotion” houses several bilateral and global projects seeking to improve employment prospects for people in South Africa, stimulate economic growth and job creation, and improve the ways in which people find their path into (self)employment.

The project “Support to the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention” (S2PYEI) supports the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa in achieving the interventions’ goals. One of the four components of the PYEI seeks to improve demand-led skilling. Under this component, sector-specific workstreams have been established in which industry and training providers anticipate skills required in the labour market of tomorrow and develop training programs preparing young people for future demands. The PYEI is currently piloting a new and innovative funding instrument called JobsBoost, which is designed as a pay-for-performance mechanism aimed at placing hard-to-place youth in sustainable employment opportunities. Among others, S2PYEI supports the Presidency in designing, implementing and evaluating such PYEI initiatives. Find more information on the PYEI at www.stateofthenation.gov.za.

The Career Path Development for Employment (CPD4E) project aims to improve the employment prospects of young people in South Africa in a sustainable, increasingly decarbonised economy. The project applies an integrated approach to support young people to gain access to employment and income generation opportunities in sectors relevant for a just transition towards a green economy. The integrated approach approaches employment through 4 areas:

  1. Strengthening the framework conditions for employment in a decarbonised economy,
  2. Supporting SMME development and demand side skills requirements,
  3. Supporting the supply of skills through strengthening vocational institutions, and
  4. Matching demand and supply side interventions.

This position will focus on the development of framework conditions with emphasis on pay-for-performance financing instruments to strengthen the systemic ability to react and innovate in order to develop/improve employment potential of just transition and to promote just transition in the vocational training system.

Across all outputs, the project will place great value on addressing gender-specific disadvantages for girls and young women and bring this to bear in the gender-sensitive design of activities and by ensuring that a large number of girls and women take part in the activities.

CPD4E is implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) co-financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

ABOUT THE POSITION - see full job description download below

CPD4E and S2PYEI are jointly looking to recruit a senior or technical advisor to support their respective teams in the following areas of responsibility:

  • Skills anticipation and demand-led skills development in the context of the PYEI, particularly its Pay-for-Performance financing instruments, e.g. the JobsBoost pilot and potentially future blended finance instruments, incl.:
  • Secretarial and technical support to the coordination of the workstreams under the demand-led skilling component;
  • Evaluation of the workstreams and identification of success factors and barriers that help or hinder their effectiveness;
  • Evaluation of the JobsBoost pilot;
  • Education and employment promotion, with a particular focus on the Department of Higher Education and training (DHET), regulatory bodies as well as training providers, in particular on: Integration of the Just (Energy) Transition into the national TVET agenda, its training programmes and financing instruments, strengthening the role and responsiveness of skills development and TVET for JET in accordance with JET policies, e.g. the JET-IP, incl.:
  • Innovative projects to support employability in the JET;
  • Promotion of multi-stakeholder networks for employment-oriented change projects;
  • Capacity Development to integrate the JET strategy into the vocational education agenda.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Suitable candidates should apply by submitting:

  • A motivation letter (concisely 1 page) stating why they should be the preferred candidate, the value added they will bring to the project and their desired salary range.
  • This should be accompanied by a detailed CV (not more than 5 pages) and indicating their nationality.

Applications should be submitted to: recruit-pretoria@giz.de, with the email subject line

“Technical Policy Advisor for Employment Promotion” for the attention of Head of Human Resource.

Closing date for applications: 29 March 2024.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Applications without a motivation letter will not be considered!