Consultant - TVET and Skills for Employment Consultations

WORK PACKAGE TVET and Skills for Employment Consultations LOCATION Nigeria APPLICATION DEADLINE 7 September 2026 EXPECTED START DATE Mid September 2026 CONTRACT PERIOD Up to 17 working days between September 15th and October 31st 2026, including up to 2-week field travel within Nigeria

BACKGROUND

WUSC is a leading Canadian international development organization that works with and through its southern partners to promote sustainable development. Founded in 1957 and currently working in 25 countries worldwide with an annual budget of approximately $45 million dollars, WUSC’s mission is to foster human development and global understanding through education and training. Our internationally recognized programs support youth, women and other marginalized populations, focusing on three thematic areas of education, employment and empowerment. Globally, WUSC works with a network of higher education institutions, civil society organizations, private sector partners, professionals, students, volunteers, faculty and community leaders that can be leveraged to support our work. Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is the national voice of Canada’s dynamic network of publicly funded colleges, institutes, CEGEPs, polytechnics and Indigenous Institutes of Education. By convening, mobilizing, and championing the sector, we amplify the value and impact of our members to advance priorities that matter most to Canadians. With more than 95% of Canadians living within 50 km of a member institution, and thanks to its extensive reach around the globe, CICan works to position colleges and institutes as key partners in meeting Canada’s – and the world’s – biggest challenges. NATURE AND SCOPE WUSC and CICan wish to retain a consultant to support an exploratory analysis of the Technical Vocational Education and training (TVET) sector in Nigeria and contribute to the design of an initiative focused on supporting the transition of young people (including young women) from skills training to employment. This program aims to achieve improved employment outcomes for young people by improving workforce readiness and better aligning skills training program with labour market needs, in alignment with the government of Nigeria’s economic growth priorities. WUSC and CICan are specifically looking for a consultant who has familiarity with the Nigerian TVET system, the interplay between government, educational institutions and the private sector, can interpret and explain this to the team, provide linkages to key stakeholders, and support an analysis of the TVET and Skills for Employment realities in Nigeria. This analysis will include the following elements:

- Context Analysis:

- Existing TVET System: Support the WUSC/CICan proposal development team to conduct stakeholder consultations with the aim of better understanding and analyzing the Nigerian Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Skills for Employment (S4E) sector, including 1) how it is structured (including existing coordination and employer engagement mechanisms), 2) major stakeholders at the national and state level (including key government, public/private and formal/informal training providers), 3) major programs/initiatives and areas of focus, 4) government priorities, 5) key relevant documents, policies and statistics, 6) key gaps and strengths within the existing TVET/S4E system for priority in program design to support institutional strengthening. - Labor Market Relevance & Sector/Geographic Targeting: Further investigate sectors with strong growth and employment/entrepreneurship potential for youth including renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, ICT, mining, health, manufacturing, aviation, and logistics, to align training with actual workforce demands, including demand among Canadian private sector companies active in Nigeria. Consider opportunities at a national and regional level, including priority geographies of Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi and Nasarawa, and locations supporting sustainable economic growth objectives around Lagos. Support the initial prioritization of 2-4 sectors for further investigation leveraging WUSC and CICan assessment tools Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Environment and Climate Change (ECC) considerations should be mainstreamed into the sector evaluation criteria, including opportunities/constraints for young people (including young women and internally displaced persons (IDPs) . - Employer & Private Sector Engagement: Support the mapping of key industry associations, chambers of commerce, and private sector actors in priority sectors and geographies, prioritizing companies with linkages to Canadian industry. Support engagement with these actors to better understand labour market needs and skills gaps. - Support Gender Equality and Social Inclusion analysis: Collaborate with a Nigeria-based GESI expert to ensure that GESI considerations are mainstreamed throughout the research process, including supporting the identification of gender-based barriers and risks that may limit equitable access to education and skills development opportunities and transition to employment. - Leveraging global expertise: Work with WUSC and CICan to identify opportunities for leveraging Canadian expertise, networks, and institutional partnerships, including educational institutions, industry associations, colleges, polytechnics, universities, training providers, and other relevant organizations, to support institutional strengthening, capacity development, knowledge exchange, curriculum development, labour-market-responsive approaches to skills development, and sustainable collaboration between Canadian and Nigerian institutions. SPECIFIC TASKS/DELIVERABLES - Co-develop a detailed consultation plan in close consultation with WUSC, and CICan. The workplan will clarify and refine the overall approach, methodology and timing for the consultations. - Take a leading role in identifying key stakeholders and organizing k