EQUIP3/Preparing Youth for Work (PAS: Prepara Ami Ba Servisu)

Prepara Ami ba Serbisu (PAS), which translates to “Preparing Us for Work,” is a workforce preparation program in Timor-Leste that assists rural youth (ages 16–30), many of whom dropped out of school and have little opportunity other than subsistence farming. These youth gain the skills and expertise needed to find self-employment or job opportunities and more promising futures. Over 1,500 men and women graduated from the program’s eight-month combination of off-the-job classroom instruction, on-the-job training, and livelihood accompaniment. As part of this training, participants have the opportunity to gain real work experience while applying newfound skills gained through formal instruction. PAS works closely with local partner NGOs and the government vocational training and employment office. The Timorese government has now set up a working group which will review the PAS curriculum as a model for a future government-accredited training course at the foundation level. PAS is an Associate Award of the Educational Quality Improvement Program 3.

Visit EDC’s International Development Division website for additional project information and resources.