Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Intervention Manager at Adam Smith International

Adam Smith International is an award-winning global company that delivers impact, value and lasting change through economic growth and government reform. Our reputation as a global leader has been built on the positive results our projects have achieved in many of the world’s most challenging environments.

Adam Smith International has a strong corporate presence globally, with 146 current projects across 49 countries and over 1,000 staff and associates. Headquartered in London, our regional offices are based in Africa (Nairobi, Abuja and Pretoria), Asia Pacific (Sydney) and South Asia (Delhi), with numerous registered offices across Africa and Asia.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Intervention Manager

Tracking Code: 1178-112
Location: Kano
Position Type: Full-Time/Regular

Programme Background
Mafita is a large-scale, six-year youth employment programme operating in Nigeria’s northern states, funded by Department for International Development (DFID) and implemented by Adam Smith International.  Through a combination of innovative skills development and job creation interventions, Mafita will support over 30,000 marginalised young people to find employment or become entrepreneurs by 2021.

Within the above scope, Mafita is mandated to support the economic empowerment of Northern Nigerian women, whose economic disenfranchisement has direct and adverse impacts on the country’s economic prosperity and development at the national, regional and community levels. Through its work, Mafita seeks to support women to access economic resources both directly by supporting women’s entrepreneurship, employment and access to finance, and indirectly by creating a more enabling environment for women.

Areas of Responsibility

• The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Intervention Manager will have the overall responsibility for the TVET component of the programme, which specifically includes the delivery of quality vocational training resources, materials and capacity building
• The TVET Intervention Manager will provide technical leadership to the programme in the area of, among others, quality assurance of training across Community Skills Development Centre (COSDEC) and Apprenticeship interventions, designing vocational training strategies and supporting national accreditation bodies through capacity building
• The TVET Intervention Manager will liaise with the relevant government agencies in each state, and collaborate closely with relevant institutions to ensure high-quality, demand-driven vocational training in selected trade areas.

Main Tasks

• Follow and implement all directives, policies and procedures issued by Mafita management in the TVET intervention.
• Devise and implement intervention strategies to increase the quality and relevance of vocational training at selected technical colleges; build strong synergies across the Mafita programme to ensure vocational training programmes are demand-driven;
• Provide technical leadership for assessment and verification of learners in Mafita skills delivery systems and act as focal point for liaison with awarding bodies and other relevant stakeholders for the management, delivery of vocational qualifications whilst ensuring that contractual and compliance requirements for the delivery of programs are met in accordance with National Vocational Qualifications Framework (NVQF);
• Provide technical leadership for design, development and validation of relevant occupational standards, learning materials and workplace guidelines based on competency based training (CBT) approach to ensure quality and relevant technical and vocational skills development for Mafita beneficiaries;
• Provide technical leadership for training quality assurance in Mafita skills development systems and ensure the implementation and internalization of occupational standards for training through training of trainers, and continuous Professional development that could strengthen instruction, assessment and verification;
• Provide technical leadership for accreditation of centres and programs in the Mafita skills delivery systems and act as liaison with all relevant stakeholders;
• Identify and profile publicly funded polytechnics and vocational training centres which can provide training to TVET trainers and Master Craftsmen and their apprentices; liaise closely with the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) to ensure this training is recognized and certified;
• Device strategies around the Recognition of Prior Learning for Master Craft Persons (MCPs) to become recognised and suitably qualified TVET Trainers
• Engage private sector organisations in exchange programmes for the technical skills upgrading of TVET Trainers
• Capacitate relevant state agencies in the transition of quality assurance, Training of Trainers (ToT) and assessment functions and ensure effective change management
• Provide technical guidance on TVET policies, guidelines, and quality programming with stakeholders;
• Lead in the full design and implementation of short courses
• Simplify current processes/assessment and ensure financial sustainability
• Ensure ownership of processes by current implementers (i.e. COSDEC trainers, MCPs…)
• Lead in the liaison with other donor programmes working in the same geographical areas to achieve synergies – where appropriate
• Liaise with Intervention Managers, Skills Development Lead and Team Leader on broader programme strategy to ensure synergies are identified and programme coherence is guaranteed.
• Provide technical guidance to all Short Term Technical Assistant (STTA) consultants and permanent associates within the intervention
• Ensure all approved TVET documentation and data are shared with relevant internal and external stakeholder as well as full compliance of SharePoint usage guidelines
• Coordinate the unit’s contribution to the programme’s Quarterly Reports
• Ensure the timely achievement of unit specific milestones and reporting to DFID
• Ensure MRM is actively supported in the data collection and data analysis processes
• Prepare, in conjunction with the Communications team, adequate lessons learned and success stories from the unit
• Adhere to all reporting requirements (both scheduled and ad hoc) regarding your team as communicated to you by the Project Management Unit (PMU)
• Ensure effective communication and liaison with PMU regarding effective implementation and monitoring of monthly forecasting, reporting and tracking of payments

Qualification, Experience and Competencies
Education:

• Master's Degree in Education, Engineering, Physical Sciences or any TVET related subject area from a reputable University.

Competencies:

• Promotes sharing of knowledge and experience, and actively works towards continued personal learning and development of team members;
• Good practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary technical issues in vocational and technical trades;
• Ability to go beyond established procedures and models, propose new approaches which expand the range of the project;
• Builds strong relationships with all partners, focuses on impact and results and responds positively to critical feedback.

Required Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant work experience in the management and leadership of TVET programmes and services in Nigeria or elsewhere.
• Strong background in training, education and research, and thorough knowledge of Nigeria's TVET development initiatives, policies, programmes and mechanism of services.
• Knowledge of and experience working with government ministries, private sector and development agencies/partners.
• Good knowledge of statistical tools and analytical skills and competent with computer application, data management, reporting and presentation skills.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online