- An initial and continuing education in the health and social sectors that meet international standards by deriving benefits from the potential of information and communication technology; Create decent employment in the health and social sectors to support economic growth mostly for the youth and the empowerment of women and their retention in areas that are poorly served; Improve the offer of healthcare by revitalizing primary healthcare strategy and exploiting the potential of information and communication technology. Experiment and succeed in inclusive and multisectoral community support project for transitional development within a region in Niger. 463. The Government of Niger with the financial support of the World Bank is in the process of implementing the Youth Employment and Productive Inclusive Project (PEJIP). This project aims at providing an appropriate response to the issue of unemployment and under-employment of Nigerien youth, in particular, those in the rural areas. The objective of the project is to increase incomegenerating activities among the youth in targeted poor communities in Niger. The expected results are the following: - 40 000 young people including 50 % of women have received support under the project (key indicator); - 75 % of rural beneficiaries of the Component 1 of the project are taking off, extending or diversifying their economic activities after receiving the integrated support package; - 70 % of the urban or sub-urban beneficiaries of Component 2 are engaged in an incomegenerating activity after receiving support from the project. 464. The cost of the project is about 16 billion CFA francs for a period of five (5) years from 31 October 2018 to 30 June 2023. 465. Between 2017 and 2018, as part of the first segment of the Support Programme for Youth Integration (PAIJ), namely the Contract for the Initiation to Vocational Life (COSIVIP), out of the 1200 planned contracts, 911 young people have actually been placed throughout the country. Furthermore, 90 young people out of 150 have been trained as part of the contract of occupational retraining. 466. It must be noted that the National Employment Promotion Agency has since 2014 been implementing a programme for the improvement of the transition from school to the labour market through the Skills for Growth Development Project (PRODEC). This programme is designed to equip youth graduates from technical and vocational training schools and centres as well as students from secondary and tertiary educational institutions with vocational skills by placing them in business enterprises to enable them to acquire experience. 467. In order to assess the results of this activity, a survey on the future of the beneficiaries of the ANPE internship has been conducted. As at the time of the survey, 70% of the beneficiaries interviewed had been able to secure employment (40% of men and 60% of women, 49% of middle level education as against 51% of tertiary education) including 55.8% who are still employed or self-employed. 468. The impact of the PIJD on youth employment is convincing since 70% of the 806 interviewed were able to secure jobs during the period ranging from six (6) months after their internship as at the date of the interview. 94

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