About Education and Skills Strengthening Project

Summary

ESSP aims to increase access to and quality of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) opportunities and improve labor market outcomes for Marshallese beneficiaries in RMI and abroad. This project is designed to address the RMI’s challenges in building and using its human capital.

 

In RMI, participation in secondary and post-secondary education and training as well as poor academic performance across the board is a main concern and the labor market faces a dual challenge of skills gaps and a high formal sector unemployment (especially among youths). The Project was approved by the World Bank’s Board of Directors on 21st January 2021 and declared effective on 6th April 2021. The International Development Association (IDA) grant for the proposed operation is US$10 million.

 

The key stakeholders to this project include the Ministry of Education, Sports and Training (MOEST), Public-School System (PSS), the National Training Council (NTC), and the Ministry of Finance, Banking and Postal Services, Division of International Development Assistance (DIDA).

 

This project will support the following:

  1. Improvement in the general secondary education to increase acquisition of foundational skills (Math and English)
  2. Expansion and improvements in the supply of TVET programs, specialization tracks within secondary schools, accredited college-level programs in post-secondary institutions, and shorter programs by governmental and non-governmental organizations.
  3. Strengthening of the labor market intermediation services in the country such as workforce planning, counseling and career guidance, employment center, recognition of prior learning, work placement program, etc.
  4. Project management, Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E). Financing M & E activities to complement existing M&E systems in collecting relevant data for monitoring the project, inform needed course-correction, and evaluate outcomes of activities. As part of building MOEST capacity, the component would finance assessments, the development of a Roadmap and action to prepare for (including make efficiency gains where possible) and navigate any changes in the level of, or access to, resources or services and ways of working which may alter as a result of the Compact renegotiations process.

 

The project also aims to improve equity, especially related to women’s participation in TVET and in the work force and related to students, especially youths from islands other than Majuro and Ebeye. As part of project implementation, the project will support the introduction of Island skills and Vocational Skills track in public schools. Furthermore, the project will conduct needs assessment to identify RMI skills gap through Skills Survey. With these range of activities, it is vital that career counselor should be well equipped to help students to be well informed of career choices whilst at school level and also know the employment opportunity available at post training.

 

NTC and PSS are the technical leads for their component(s). Each Agency has assigned one staff to manage the activities for about 30 percent of their work program. For the project support, a Project Implementing Unit (PIU) is comprised of two coordinators, one for NTC and one for PSS, one administrative assistant, and one Project Manager. To maximize coordination and efficiency, the PIU is located within the NTC’s office.