Guidelines for Selection of Local Artisans

Tool focus

This tool is aimed at structuring the identification and selection of local artisans (Masters Craftsmen) for their engagement in work-based learning such as apprenticeship, internship, industrial attachment etc.

Target group

Public TVET local/national authorities and NGOs selecting local artisans for an internship, industrial attachment or informal master craftsmen.
Local artisans (Master craftsmen) engage in work-based learning activities.

The Programme¹ : Education for Youth Empowerment, Save the Children, Denmark²

Save the Children Denmark has implemented several projects for the Education for Youth Empowerment (EYE) programme in the East African Area.

The EYE projects offered a holistic approach, which focused on multiple aspects of youths' needs by combining the three pillars of social, economic and political empowerment. The three pillars are mutually underpinning and are supported by other thematic areas such as child rights governance, protection, basic education and livelihood.

Empowerment was approached through the process of increasing the knowledge, skills and ability of individuals or groups, to make informed choices and transform them into desired actions, thus improving the livelihood of young people. The youth empowerment process should start with the development of social empowerment skills and knowledge, which in turn should focus on the youth's situation and the realities affecting them. Political empowerment aims to strengthen the capacity of young people to advocate individually and/or in collaboration with other young people and civil society organisations for the assertion of their rights at local, district and national levels, and thus to bring about sustainable changes that can, among other things, strengthen their livelihoods.

Economic empowerment is the process of increasing youth’s ability to bring about positive economic changes on either an individual or a group level. The economic empowerment skills and knowledge are gained through interlinked activities, such as non-formal basic education, technical-vocational skills development, apprenticeships and entrepreneurship training and employability training. Furthermore, employment support (wages and self-employment) linked to accessing start-up capital and savings enable young people to make a safe transition from learning to earning. The three empowerment pillars are mutually supportive, which offers a multi-dimensional approach to addressing youth livelihood challenges.  This three-pronged approach – with some degrees of variation – is used by many national and international NGOs.

In the context of economic empowerment, vulnerable youth were offered vocational skills training, either through local TVET providers or other local artisans in the form of apprenticeship or internship schemes.

The EYE project involved local artisans in certain geographical areas (individual artisans or an artisan with one or two employees) who performed above average and were willing to participate in the training of a few trainees. In return for sharing their craft, the local artisans received appropriate equipment (hand tools) and consumables for training a certain number of trainees. The artisans were also offered to keep the equipment after training a target number of trainees and some would also be introduced to the basics of pedagogy. The training was structured as on-the-job training, where the trainees participated in the normal production/activities of the craft workshop, with the complexity of the learning gradually increasing as the trainees became more proficient in the skills of the craft. After the training period, which varied depending on the trade, trainees were able to sit an exam to formally recognise what was learnt previously. This was dependent on whether there was an RPL facility within the formal VET system.

In addition to vocational training, young people were also offered life skills training and political empowerment activities. The formation of networks and smaller groups of trainees was encouraged in order to support each other, facilitate learning and increase individual self-confidence. The networks and groups were also used to form business groups of young people who agreed to start a small business together. To further facilitate small business start up, the trainees were offered training in entrepreneurship and business ventures, which included an introduction to micro-credits

The Tool: Guidelines for Selection of Local Artisans

The selection of relevant local artisans was vital to the outcome of the vocational skills training. Experience has shown that the local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the geographical area concerned took a very different approach to selecting local artisans. Therefore, it was important to structure the selection process. The EYE Guidelines for Selection of Local Artisans guidelines were developed with the purpose to assist Save the Children’s local partners (local NGO) with regards to:

1. Identifying and selecting local artisans in order to engage them in the training of young people;
2. Ensuring structure and quality in the selection process.

The guidelines in the form of a written document included (i) an introduction to the guidelines, (ii) a presentation of the selection criteria (iii) how to use the guidelines and (iv) interview guidelines for interviewing local artisans.

The guidelines were presented to the relevant staff of the local NGOs supporting Save the Children in the implementation of EYE projects. The local NGOs were responsible for applying the guidelines through a systematic process of visiting local communities to inform the artisans about the EYE projects, the training model, the involvement of local artisans including roles and responsibilities, and the conditions offered to the selected artisans. Save the Children was responsible for developing and adapting the guidelines and for their general application. This would include any reports mentioning the selection of local artisans.

The outcome of the identification and selection process was fed back to Save the Children and, in collaboration with local NGOs, the final selection was made, after which the artisans were informed. As can be seen from the guidelines, they are general in nature, as the guidelines apply to very different communities and are intended to allow for application according to local circumstances.

Figure 1: The guidelines’ application process

The process of applying the guidelines outlined above would include at least one person for each of the local NGOs, an introductory meeting, community visits, reporting and review meetings. All activities were not carried out separately but integrated into other project meetings.

The signature of the NGO staff and artisan serves to ensure that the artisan has been well informed before engaging in the training of trainees. The signed document would stay with the artisan and with Save the Children/the local NGO.

The profile and training/career wishes of the target group – vulnerable youth – determined within which business/vocations local artisans would be identified and finally engaged. Therefore, the guidelines were introduced as soon as the profiling and carrier guidance process of the youth was initiated giving an indication of which local artisans to engage.

 EYE Guidelines for Selection of Local Artisans

Background

Below are guidelines that can be used for selecting local artisans for EYE skills training activities.
The main objective of the guidelines is to ensure that the selection of artisans is done in a structured way and that key learning aspects are taken into account. It is also important that artisans are fully informed about the process, roles and responsibilities, and the basics of Save the Children's work and principles.

The quality of training is assessed through observation by the interviewer and through discussions with current and former trainees. The number and quality of tools/equipment will be reviewed.

Selection Criteria

Seven general criteria were identified and the main concerns they should cover are described by seven simple questions that the identified local artisan should answer.

For each criterion, a note is given on how to apply it and a suggestion on what to look for.

It is important that the guidelines are applied with an understanding of the context within which the artisan is to provide learning. This means that other elements can be considered and that the importance of each element may vary according to the local context. As a result, additional criteria might need to be added to the guidelines.

Selection Guidelines

How to apply the guidelines?

The local artisan should be visited and through an interview and observations, all the above principles should be assessed following a simple interview/selection format (overleaf).

Before the interview, the artisan should be informed about the purpose of the assessment, which is to determine:

1. Whether or not vulnerable youth can be placed for skills training in a meaningful manner and ;
2. Which assistance SC can provide in terms of hand tool, information or training;
3. Provide the artisan with all the relevant information (roles, responsibilities, procedures, MoU and payment etc.).

The result of the assessment should be communicated immediately after the assessment to the artisan for comments. The comments should be noted and the assessment format should be signed both by the artisan and the interviewer.

The next step in the process should be made clear to the artisan.

Selection and interview format

For each of the six criteria, the artisan is interviewed. The interview and observation should satisfactory cover the areas mentioned under “What to look for?” in the guideline framework. Answers and observations are recorded under “Feedback & Observation”.

A local hairdresser (centre holding the engagement contract) participating in the training of youth. She is receiving the necessary equipment for the training of trainees. One of the trainees can be seen second from right.
To facilitate the process representatives of the community participated (second from left) along with Save the Children staff.
Photo: Søren Bo Poulsen

• The advantage of the tool is that it addresses its purpose, namely to engage local artisans for the empowerment of youth through apprenticeship, in a clear and structured manner by offering a relevant degree of standardization to a process that, otherwise, could be addressed differently. At the same time, the tool is not so complex that it would be difficult to use. It can be easily used on site in both a paper version and a PC offline version. This also implies that it is not a costly tool to apply nor to maintain.
• Applying a structured local artisan identification and selection tool will facilitate the evaluation of the entire skills development programme by providing information on the process of selecting local artisans. This will make it possible to constantly upgrade the selection of local artisans for the benefit of the skills development and in turn facilitate the employability of the trainees.

• The tool does not have many disadvantages due to its simplicity. However, as many of the local artisans are operating in the informal economy -partly or fully - there is a natural scepticism about providing information about their business because artisans are worried that such information will be used to collect additional taxes and fees.
• As the whole programme and thus the tool is part of the NGO activities, local artisans are likely to be less concerned. However, it is important to provide local artisans with information about the objective of the entire programme, the relevance of the tool and how the information will be used. That is to say that transparency towards the local artisan also when applying such a simple tool is necessary and can facilitate the entire implementation of a skills development project.