Skill Development & Vocational Education Expert

Our partner organization is a multi-disciplinary development sector consulting firm offering a range of integrated, innovative, and high-quality services across several sectors and practices. To strengthen its portfolio of work in the girl capital domain, they seek a dynamic and experienced professional to be a part of the team and lead initiatives aimed at increasing female labour force participation in paid jobs through improved access to market-relevant skills and vocational training. 

The Expert will play a critical role in identifying pathways for young women and girls to transition into paid employment by addressing systemic barriers to skill training and transition to employment, as well as fostering collaboration across government, private sector, and community stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead strategic research, sector scans, and industry consultations to identify emerging sectors aligned with local economic trends and aspirations of young women and girls.
• Conduct skill gap analysis of existing skilling courses and map them to industry demands and future employment trends, ensuring the inclusion of high-growth sectors.
• Lead efforts to eliminate gender stereotypes in vocational courses offered in schools, training institutes, and Skill Development Centres (SDCs).
• Drive all coordination efforts with relevant stakeholders to expand the range of trades available and ensure that girls have access to training in emerging and high-demand fields.
• Contribute to the development of modules for ToTs (Training of Trainers) and provide technical inputs for capacity-building sessions.
• Forge strategic partnerships with national and state ministries, Sector Skill Councils, training providers, employers, and women-led enterprises.
• Negotiate MoUs and placement agreements that guarantee safe, decent work conditions, equal pay, and clear career progression pathways for female trainees.
• Identify sustainable mechanisms to mobilise participants and address demand-side barriers.
• Design and oversee MEL frameworks to track training quality, placement rates, retention, and wage growth of female graduates.
• Produce high-quality policy briefs, case studies, and presentations for government, donors, and the private sector on gender-inclusive skilling.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the specialist may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities, as determined by the Senior leadership.

Educational Background

• Master's degree or higher in Public Policy, Gender Studies, Development Studies,
  Economics or a related field.

Work Experience

• At least 10 years of experience working in skill development and vocational education programmes with a gender focus.
• Proven experience working with government systems, especially Ministries of Skill Development, Education, Labour, or Women & Child Development.
• Experience with donor-funded projects or multilateral agencies is an asset.

Technical Expertise

• Familiarity with national skilling schemes (e.g., PMKVY, DDU-GKY, NSQF) and vocational education frameworks.
• In-depth understanding of barriers to women's economic participation, including social norms, safety, mobility, unpaid care responsibilities, and access to skilling.
• Demonstrated ability to translate research and evidence into actionable policy and programmatic recommendations.
• Experience in developing high-quality policy briefs, factsheets, and presentations tailored for diverse stakeholders, including government, industry, and NGOs.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Analytical Thinking: Ability to interpret data and labour market trends to inform gender-inclusive skilling strategies.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; ability to engage and persuade diverse stakeholders.
• Teamwork: Proven ability to collaborate effectively in diverse teams, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment to achieve shared goals and drive success.